Blue Devils take care of business, down Superior for second time this season

UW-Stout 6, UW-Superior 4

SUPERIOR (February 11, 2022) - UW-Stout took care of business when they needed to and defeated UW-Superior for the second time this season, this time taking a 6-4 win at Wessman Arena Friday.

Logan Nelson scored two goals in the second period as Stout (8-16-0, 6-8-0 WIAC) poured in four second period goals to jump to the win. 

The win puts the Blue Devils in better position to host a first round WIAC Tournament series. With the win, Stout earns the head-to-head tie breaker over the Yellowjackets (12-10-2, 5-7-1 WIAC). The win gives Stout 20 points in the conference standings, while the Yellowjackets sit at 16 points. The teams play again Saturday, Feb. 12, in Menomonie in the final game of the regular season and the final game of the three-game series between the two teams.

The Yellowjackets opened the game with a goal at 15:01 of the first period, a power play goal - Superior's first of three power play goals - by Coltyn Bates. Assists were by MacGregor Sinclair and Jordan Martin.

Stout knotted the score three minutes later when Brandon Connett scored on the power play at 18:01, getting assists from Dylan Rallis and Hayden Clark.

The Blue Devils poured it on in the second period with four goals. Senior captain Logan Nelson was first up for the Blue Devils scored to break the tie and give Stout a 2-1 lead. Dylan Rallis gave Stout a 3-1 lead less than a minute later, scoring at 4:12, getting assists from Noah Carson and Kobe Keller

Clark, who was playing in only his fifth game of the season, scored his second goal of the season and made it 4-1 on an unassisted goal at 10:12 for his third goal of the season. Nelson made it 5-1 at 18:45 and Stout took a comfortable lead into the second intermission. Peyton Hart got the assist.

Superior cut the lead to 5-2 with a power play goal by Artur Terchiyev at 4:21 of the third period. Charles Martin and CJ Walker got the assist.

Stout found themselves one man down midway through the period, but the Blue Devils turned the situation around when Cole Beckstead scored shorthanded and unassisted for Stout's sixth shorthanded goal of the season, taking a 6-2 lead.

The 'Jackets' Gavin Rassmussen scored twice for Superior in the final six minutes, the first one coming on the power play at 14:08, assisted by Charles Martin and Walker, and the second one at even strength at 18:57 for what would prove to be the final score, with Walker providing his third assist of the night and Martin his second. Superior pulled their goalie, but were able to only get one wide shot off in the closing minutes of the game.

Zack Cloutier captured the win, making 32 saves. The Blue Devils sent starting goalie Landon Pavlisin to the bench after he gave up the first four goals after making 12 saves. Nick Althaus gave up the final two goals, recording eight saves, but was saddled with the loss. 

The Yellowjackets were 3 for 6 on the power play, while Stout was 1 for 2. 

For Nelson, it was his first two-goal night since Feb. 3, 2020, when he scored two goals against UW-River Falls in the season opener. Nelson has scored two goals  in six games over his career.