EAU CLAIRE - Lake Forest scored three consecutive goals in the second period en route to a 6-3 triumph over the UW-Eau Claire men's hockey team at the Hobbs Ice Center Friday night.

After the two teams skated to a 1-1 tie during the first period, Lake Forest scored just 1:05 into the second period and broke to a 4-1 advantage with goals at 11:28 and 14:51 of the period.

Eau Claire scored with just 2:07 on the clock in the second and then tallied the first goal of the third period at the 5:56 mark to make it a 4-3 game but the Foresters put the game away with two goals less than three minutes apart midway through the period to earn their first Northern Collegiate Hockey Association triumph of the season.

The Blugolds took advantage of 11 Lake Forest penalties to score twice in seven power play opportunities. Lake Forest had the man advantage only twice and scored once.

Sophomore Mike Gatzke (White Bear Lake, MN/Hill-Murray) made his first collegiate start in the nets for the Blugolds and stopped 22 of 28 shots. The Blugolds meanwhile pelted Lake Forest goalie Scott Campbell with 38 shots.

Kyle Garner (Jr.-Sun Prairie), Steve Dus (Jr.-Onalaska) and Chip Dunleavy (Sr.-Littleton, CO/Columbine) scored the three Blugold goals. For Dus and Dunleavy, it was their team-high fifth of the season while Garner's was his second. However, Dus was lost for the season with a knee injury after his score.

The loss to Lake Forest was the fourth in a row for the Blugolds who have not beaten the Foresters in seven contests dating back to a 2-1 victory on Feb. 2, 2002. The setback also kept the Blugolds winless on the season at 0-7-2. They are 0-3 in the NCHA.

The Blugolds will entertain four-time defending regular-season NCHA champion St. Norbert College at 7 p.m. Saturday at Hobbs. First-year Blugold coach Luke Strand was an assistant at St. Norbert from 2000-03.

Eau Claire-Lake Forest Box Score

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