Just like they did on Saturday, the Aberdeen Cougars got off to another solid start Sunday at the Odde Ice Center. This time the local squad sustained it on the way to an 8-1 boys’ hockey win over the Yankton Bucks.

“I thought from start to finish it was a much better team effort for us overall,” said Cougars coach Jeremey Backous. “(Saturday) we started the game aggressive, I thought it was probably as aggressive as we’ve started any game with this much intensity and then it kind of tailed off through the game. But today, I thought we started well and played a much more level game.”

Lleyton Kleffman scored the first of his two goals to give Aberdeen a lead less than 90 seconds in the contest. After Yankton tied the scored, the Cougars took over.

Brady Huff scored and then found Devon Fischbach for a power-play goal to extend the lead in the final minute of the period.

“Huff was in the corner battling it out,” Fischbach said, “and just came to me backdoor and I put it in the net.”

The Cougars added two more goals in the second period on goals by Huff and Austin Dabney, before finding the back of the net three more times in third period on goals by Micah Kranzler, Kleffman, and Quincy Madsen.

The Cougars outshot Yankton 33-16 in the contest.

“One of the things that we talked about was just trying to simplify the game and putting pucks on net and just creating opportunities in front,” Backous said. “It doesn’t have to be pretty. We’re probably not going to score a lot of pretty goals, but they all count the same.”

Fischbach added a pair of assists in addition to his goal.

When asked which liked better, scoring or assists, Fischbach left no doubt.

“I’m an assist guy, abosultely,” Fischbach said. “I like being a team player. I don’t like the spotlight on me very much. I like trying to get the guys in the mix.”

The sophomore said the older players on the squad have made him feel welcome.

“They kind of just took me in under their wing, and kind of welcomed me to the team,” Fischbach said. “I play hard for them and they really help me out.”

The Cougars, 5-5-1 on the year, are home on Friday against Huron for Senior Night at 8 p.m. at the Odde Ice Center. The squad then plays Brookings on Saturday and Pierre on Sunday.

Backous said he likes the way that the team is trending.

“I think we’re starting to come together as a team and play a good style of team hockey,” Backous said, “and I feel like we’re trending upward as the season progresses, and that’s where we want to be.”

Yankton Bucks 1 0 0 – 1

Aberdeen Cougars 3 2 3 – 8

First Period: 1, AC, Lleyton Kleffman (Jaxon Danielson), 15:37; 2, YB, Jack Pedersen, 12:33; 3, AC, Brady Huff (Devon Fischbach, Aiden Posthumus), 9:07; 4, AC, Fischbach (Huff), :39.

Second Period: 5, AC, Huff (Fischbach, Lance Siefken), :39; 6, AC, Austin Dabney (Kleffman).

Third Period: 7, AC, Micah Kranzler (Dabney), 16:38; 8, AC, Kleffman (Huff), 16:03; 9, AC, Quincy Madsen (Danielson), 1:39.

Shots on Goal: Yankton Bucks 16; Aberdeen Cougars 33.

Goalies: Yankton Bucks, Keenan Wagner (25 saves); Aberdeen Cougars, Colton Townsend (15 saves).