EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Eau Claire soccer team's bid to end UW-Stout's undefeated season fell just short as the Blugolds dropped a 2-1 decision to the Blue Devils here today at the Bollinger Fields.

Eau Claire is now 0-2-1 against Stout after winning the first 11 meetings between the two teams. The Blugolds are 6-7-0 on the season and 2-3-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference while the Blue Devils improve to 11-0-1 overall and a perfect 4-0-0 in the WIAC.

It was the Blugolds who tallied the first goal of the match, taking a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute when Kelly Peterson (Jr.-Hudson) stole the ball and shot it past Stout goal keeper Melissa Ballweg. The goal was just the fifth allowed by Ballweg on the season and was the fourth goal for Peterson, placing her fourth on the Blugold roster.

The Blue Devils responded less than three minutes later when Shannon Hermes scored at the 8:48 mark to knot the game at one. The game remained gridlocked in the 1-1 tie until well after halftime, when it was Hermes again who delivered the final blow to the Blugolds. In the 66th minute, Hermes stole the ball from Eau Claire goalie Annie Scharenbroich (So.-White Bear Lake, MN/South) and put it in the net to give the Blue Devils a 2-1 lead.

The Eau Claire offense tallied 11 shots on goal in the match but was unable to get another shot past Ballweg as Stout remained undefeated with a 2-1 victory. The Blue Devils out-shot Eau Claire 15-11 on the match. Ballweg recorded six saves while Scharenbroich stopped nine shots on the afternoon.

Eau Claire will look to get back in the win column Friday when they play host to UW-Whitewater. The match against the Warhawks is set to begin at 3:00 p.m. at the Bollinger Fields.

Eau Claire-Stout Box Score

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