DULUTH, Minn. - The UW-Eau Claire men's hockey team earned a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) conference win on the road tonight at Mars Lakeview Arena against St. Scholastica by a score of 4-2.

The Blugolds improve to 5-6-0 overall and 2-3-0 in the NCHA. The Saints drop to 3-6-2 on the season and 1-4-1 in the NCHA.

Eau Claire jumped on the board at the 18:42 mark in the first period with a goal from Dan Decato (Fr.- Verona, WI), his second goal of the season. Sean Garrity (Sr. - North St. Paul, MN/North) had the first assist, his seventh of the season, and Greg Petersen (Jr. - Maple Grove, MN/Totino-Grace) had the second assist, his fifth of the season.

In the second period the Saint's Jordan Chong evened up the score at 1-1 with a power play goal at the 6:16 mark. Chong was the NCHA Player of the Week last week.

The game would remain tied until the third period when Eau Claire's Dan Fina (Jr. ?Fontana, WI/Glenbard South, IL) scored his second goal of the season 48 seconds into the period to take the 2-1 lead. Tyler Trudell (So. ?Waukesha, WI/South) had the assist on the goal.

Jesse Vesel (Jr. - Hibbing, MN) scored his second goal of the season at the 6:30 mark in four on four action to make the score 3-1. Fina and Bryan Plaszcz (So. ?Apple Valley, MN) had the assist on Vesel's goal. Jordan Baird would answer at the 13:09 mark to make the score 3-2. A.J. Tucker had the assist on Baird's goal.

Andrew Johnson (Jr. - Andover, MN/Anoka) would put the game away for the Blugolds when he scored his third goal of the season on an empty net at the 19:47 mark in the third period to make the score 4-2.

Tyler Brigl (So. - Eagan, MN) got the win between the pipes for the Blugolds tonight with 15 saves and two allowed goals. Steve Bounds was in the net for the Saints; he had 15 saves and allowed three goals.

Eau Claire will take on NCHA opponent UW-Superior tomorrow night in Superior. The puck is set to drop at 7 p.m.

Eau Claire-St. Scholastica Box Score

- KD -