Yellowjackets Drop 7th Straight

NSO – NEWS RELEASE

The Yellowjacket men’s hockey team is thrilled. Not thrilled because of its recent results, but rather that they get to turn the calendar from January to February. The first month of 2015 has not been friendly to the Yellowjackets. After winning the first game of the year and returning to the .500 mark, the Yellowjackets haven’t won since.

The losing skid continued Saturday, as UW-River Falls completed the weekend sweep with a 4-1 win at Hunt Arena in River Falls.

With the loss the Yellowjackets have now lost seven games in a row. It’s not uncharted territory for UW-Superior, but it certainly has been long forgotten. The last time a Yellowjacket men’s hockey team has endured a skid like this was nearly 30 years ago, when they lost ten in a row from December 1985 into January 1986.

River Falls got the scoring started midway through the first period, and just like in Friday’s game, it was due to a lucky bounce that ended up in the back of the net. Mike Fazio had the puck at the Yellowjacket blue line and put it toward the net. The puck went off defenseman Matt Audette (Thief River Falls, Minn./Lincoln) and into the goal, making it 1-0 at 10:17 of the period.

The Falcons increased the lead at 6:38 of the second period when Taylor Burden picked up a rebound in the right circle and put a shot into the top corner of the goal to make the score 2-0. A few minutes later Cory Lushanko found a loose puck to the left of the goal and slid home his fifth of the season and it was 3-0 Falcons through two periods.

River Falls carried the play for long stretches of the middle frame and the Yellowjackets couldn’t answer. Early in the third it was more of the same until the Yellowjackets were finally able to break through. Cody Hotchkin (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld), who had the lone goal of the game for the Yellowjackets Friday, scored from the left of the goal at 4:50 of the period to cut the River Falls lead to two. Tom Paine (Superior, Wis./Marshall School) had the lone assist on the play.

After the goal the Yellowjackets played with a renewed vigor and pressed River Falls the way they did for long stretches Friday. Unfortunately Tanner Milliron wasn’t going to allow another goal, and the Falcons would get another to regain the three-goal lead.

Ryan Doner had the puck on the left wing and made a perfect pass to Adam Gattelaro who split the Yellowjacket defense and went in alone on Yellowjacket goaltender Bryce Fink (Tacoma, Wash./Keystone). Gattelaro’s shot beat Fink low for his 10th of the season at 10:48 of the third, to make the final score 4-1.

Aside from the score the game was event. Each team had 29 shots on net. Each team took four penalties for eight minutes, and each team was scoreless in three power play chances. Fink took the loss, finishing the game with 25 saves. At the other Milliron earned his third win of the year over the Yellowjackets, making 28 stops.

The Yellowjackets (7-14-0, 0-7-0 WIAC) will try to end their losing streak next weekend when they host UW-Eau Claire at Wessman Arena. Friday night will be senior night, as the Yellowjackets honor their three seniors prior to the game. The opening faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. and can be heard live locally on 91.3 FM in Superior, beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. If you are outside the local listening area you can tune in online through the iFan Sports Network. Jon Garver will have the call.

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