Last season ended with UW-Superior as the champion of the WIAC.
With the arrival of the midway point of the season, the Yellowjackets find themselves in first place in the conference standings.
UW-Superior is 6-4-1 overall and 4-2-1 in the WIAC, holding down first place by two points (13-11) over UW-Stevens Point and UW-River Falls. Those two squads sport 4-1 and 4-2 records, respectively in league play.
Below is a closer look at the first half of the season in the WIAC.
Yellowjackets end first half on high note
UW-Superior has had an up and down kind of year. Twice the team has won two in a row but has yet to have a longer win streak than that.
Still, in four of their wins they have scored four or more goals and that is a positive sign for the team moving forward.
Dylan Johnson and Chad Lopez have led the way, scoring eight and five goals, respectively. Johnson has also dished out eight assists while Lopez has come through with five assists. Nine players in all have tallied at least nine points on the year.
Pointers hitting their stride
Unbeaten in its last five games, UW-Stevens Point has put itself in a position to contend once again for a WIAC title and much more.
The Pointers (9-3-1), ranked 14th in the DCU/USCHO Men’s Division III poll, have won four times during the streak while tying Concordia 3-3 in its other game during that stretch.
What has helped fuel the success is the fact that the Pointers have played well at home and on the road, sporting a winning record in both situations.
They’ve scored 43 goals off 49 assists, with Jordan Fader helping to spark that offense, punching in five goals and dishing out eight assists. Carter Roo has been key as well with four goals and five assists. Brandon McReynolds is tied for the team lead in goals (5) while eight others have scored at least two goals.
Ryan Wagner has seen the most time in goal, fashioning a 1.99 goals against average in 10 games. He’s made 212 saves.
Falcons are soaring
Through 11 games UW-River Falls has fashioned an 8-3-1 record and it will likely continue those winning ways into the second half of the season.
The Falcons have won their last three, including two one-goal games, and have four one-goal wins to their credit this season.
Cayden Cayhill and Noah Roofe have been the leaders offensively, scoring four goals apiece. Cahill has tallied six assists as well, tying him with Noah Ganske for the team lead in that category.
From a defensive standpoint, Dysen Skinner and Dean Buchholz have both seen their fair share of time in goal. Skinner has played in seven games and Buchholz has seen action in five. Both have racked up more than 100 saves, with Skinner coming through with 148.
A big test is ahead for the Falcons in out of the gate in 2022 as they face off against nationally ranked Augsburg Jan. 6 on the road. A win would provide a huge shot of momentum moving forward.
Looking ahead
UW-River Falls plays seven games at home in January, and that includes a pair of games against UW-Stevens Point.
Meanwhile, the Pointers have three consecutive weekends in January where they will play twice against UW-Eau Claire, twice against UW-River Falls and twice against UW-Superior. How the Pointers emerge from that stretch will determine a lot in terms of the conference tournament seeding and their potential to make the NCAA tournament.
For UW-Superior, a chance to win another WIAC title is still in the cards. The Yellowjackets have an opportunity to set the tone for another crown in late January and early February when they three of four on the road against the Pointers and Falcons.
But don’t count out UW-Eau Claire either. The Blugolds have had a tough start, sitting at 4-8 overall and 2-3 in the league, and they’ll be tested in the first month of 2022, playing five of seven on the road. If they can come out of that stretch with a winning record, they’ll be in a good position heading into the February.
UW-Stout could also push itself into contention, especially in the final two weeks of the season, as the Blue Devils take on the Pointers and Yellowjackets in back-to-back weekends. They are 3-3 in WIAC play at the moment despite being 3-9 overall.
