'Jackets Snap Winless Skid
 
PHEW! 

Over the last few weeks, the tension surrounding the Yellowjackets has been palpable.  Going winless for the better part of a month, seven games to be exact, has a way of doing that.  In the final minute on Friday, as the puck was finding its way into the empty net, all of that tension evaporated as the Yellowjackets finally got one in the win column with a 5-2 victory over Stevens Point at Wessman Arena.

PHEW!

The win not only snapped the Yellowjackets' winless streak, but it also gave them two very important points in the NCHA standings, helping them to keep pace with the rest of the league with three games to play.  The win also came on the night when the 'Jackets honored the seven members of the senior class.

After a scoreless first period, the Pointers got on the board first with a power play goal at 6:42 of the second.  Former Yellowjacket Kent Detlefsen got a rebound in the left circle and scored his first goal of the year to make it 1-0.  Later in the period, Luke Nesper ran Josh Seifert (Sr. Superior, Wisconsin) into the end boards and was given a five-minute major penalty for cross checking.  On the ensuing power play, the Yellowjackets tied it up.  Off of a faceoff, Derek Stauber (Fr. Duluth, Minnesota) fed a pass from the left point to the right and Chris Wilson (Sr. Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) let a one-timer go that was tipped out front by Kyle Clement (Fr. Flower Mound, Texas) to make it
1-1.  Clement's fourth goal of the season came at 14:04.

In the third, the 'Jackets blew it open, scoring four times to seal the win.  After a Stevens Point miscue in the neutral zone, Braden Desmet (Sr. Strathmore, Alberta) took the loose puck into the Pointers' zone and slid a wrist shot home for his fourth goal of the season, unassisted at 1:18.  It was Desmet's first goal in 11 games.  It went to 3-1 at 14:18 of the third when Jesse Junkermeier (Jr. Minnetonka, Minnesota) scored the eventual game-winning goal on a rebound, his fourth of the season.  Stauber and Wilson assisted on the power play goal.  The Pointers answered just 1:08 later when Detlefsen scored his second power play goal of the game with a shot from the right point at 15:26.  The lead was again stretched to two 1:08 later when Junkermeier scored his second of the game at 16:34 to make it 4-2.  Desmet started the play in the defensive zone, sending a pass rink-wide to Clement on the right wing.  Clement entered the Stevens Point zone and let a shot go from the right circle that that was stopped, but Junkermeier scored off the rebound, giving him the first multi-goal game of his collegiate career.  The 'Jackets closed out the scoring at 19:13 when Talon Berlando (Jr. Drumheller, Alberta) scored the empty net goal, his 12th of the year, to make it 5-2.  Desmet and Tyler Fletcher (Sr. Calgary, Alberta) picked up the assists.

Desmet finished the game with three points, and now has 99 points for his career.  Junkermeier, Wilson, Stauber and Clement all had two points in the game.

Bryan Dalbec (So. Superior, Wisconsin) finally earned his first win as a Yellowjacket, making 24 saves to push his record to 1-5-2 for the year.  Nick Graves made 29 saves for Stevens Point.

The Yellowjackets took 12 penalties for 24 minutes in the game, while the Pointers took eight penalties for 19 minutes.  Stevens Point went 2-8 on the power play and the Yellowjackets went 2-6.

The Yellowjackets (9-10-3, 3-10-2 NCHA) will host first-place St. Norbert on Saturday afternoon at Wessman Arena, with the opening faceoff taking place at 4:05 p.m.  The Green Knights skated to a 1-1 tie at St. Scholastica on Friday night.  Saturday's game will also be the second annual Pink the Rink event, sponsored by the Superior Jaycees.  The game can be heard live locally on KUWS 91.3 FM, beginning with the pre-game show at 3:45 p.m.  If you are outside the local listening area you can listen on the web at www.ifan.tv.  Jon Garver will have the call.