RIVER FALLS - The UW-Eau Claire men's hockey team finished its regular season schedule with a 5-2 loss to 11th-ranked UW-River Falls here tonight at Hunt Arena.

The Blugolds finish the regular season with a record of 8-13-4 overall and 1-10-3 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play while the Falcons improve to 16-7-2 on the season and 9-5-0 in NCHA action. Eau Claire, as the lowest seed in the NCHA, will battle No. 1 seed St. Norbert next weekend in the first round of the NCHA Peters Cup playoffs. The times of the games have not yet been announced.

The Falcons scored the lone goal of the first period to take a 1-0 lead then bombarded the Blugolds with three more unanswered goals in the second period to take a wide 4-0 advantage. Phil Cherneski (Sr.-Thompson, MAN/RDPC) cut the lead to 4-1 with a goal 2:46 into the third period but the Falcons battled back with their fifth goal of the contest. Brooks Lockwood (So.-Hudson) added a power play goal late in the game to finish the scoring at 5-2.

The Blugolds faced a huge shot disadvantage all game long, as River Falls fired 53 shots on goal while Eau Claire managed just 23 shots on goal in the loss.

The NCHA playoffs begin next Friday with times to be announced.

Eau Claire-River Falls Box Score

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