Superior, WI – The Northland College Lumberjacks used some late game heroics to earn their first points of the year in the WIAC on Friday evening against the UW-Superior YellowJackets.  The Jacks mounted a late comeback in the third period before settling for a 2-2 draw after the overtime period.  The Jacks earned an extra point in the standings by topping the YellowJackets 1-0 in the shootout following the overtime.

After a scoreless first period the Yellowjackets broke through on the power play at 11:22 of the second period. In the third period the Yellowjackets went on the power play and didn't score, but they kept the puck in the offensive zone and capitalized shortly after it expired to extend their lead to 2-0.

The Jacks responded right away as Connor Evans drove the net and directed the puck home for his first goal of the year just 54 seconds later, cutting the Yellowjacket lead in half. Then at 14:52 the Jacks tied it, with Brendan Charlton scoring his first of the year on the power play, getting a loose puck in the left circle and evening the score at 2-2.

Both teams had chances to win in the overtime period.  The Jacks had a point-blank chance to win it early but Yellowjacket goaltender Myles Hektor denied them with a right pad save. Later, Cole Woodliffe rang one off the crossbar. In the final ten seconds the Yellowjackets caught the LumberJacks and had a nearly full-ice two-on-zero break, but the Jacks managed to escape the play unscathed.

In the shootout the teams went through four rounds with neither team scoring. The Jacks broke through on the fifth attempt when Parker Severson slipped the puck between the goaltenders pads. On the ensuing shot for the YellowJackets, Taylor Unruh came up with the save to give the Jacks the extra point in the standings.

Both teams will see each other again tomorrow in the second game of the weekend home-and-home series. The opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Bay Area Civic Center in Ashland.