EAU CLAIRE - In a close Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) game here tonight at Hobbs Ice Center, the UW-Eau Claire men's hockey team fell 4-2 after the UW-Stevens Point Pointers shot in two unanswered goals in the third period.

With the last game of the season occurring tomorrow, the Blugolds stand at 0-12-1 in the NCHA and 2-19-3 in all games this season. The Pointers, who have the six spot in the NCHA standings, have a 6-6-1 record in NCHA play while going 12-9-3 on the season.

With just under 10 minutes left in the middle period, Chip Dunleavy (Sr.-Littleton, CO/Columbine) converted a power-play to make it a 1-1 game. Evan Byers (Fr.-Eagan, MN) and Kyle Garner (Jr.-Sun Prairie) were in on the assists. Just over a minute later it became a Blugold lead with a Jeremiah Weber (So.-Hayward) even-strength strike in which Kevin Knapp (Jr.-Blaine, MN/Spring Lake Park) had the pass to set up the score. It was Weber's first goal of the season and Knapp's first point. By the second break the game was tied up again, however.

What turned out to be the winning score occurred 12 minutes into the final period on an even-sided Pointer goal. Eau Claire hung tough and had to pull the goalie, Steffan Braunlich (Sr.-Los Angeles CA/Loyola), for the extra attacker, but the Pointers took advantage of the empty net and scored with four seconds left in the contest.

Before being pulled, Braunlich had made 29 saves in the evening against 33 shots. The Blugolds put up 21 of their own.

Both teams had only six penalties and five power-plays. The Blugolds were the only the team to convert, though it was just once.

The two teams will face each other again tomorrow in what will be the last game of the season. It begins at 7:30 p.m. at Stevens Point.

Eau Claire-Stevens Point Box Score

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