RIVER FALLS, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The UW-Eau Claire football team ended its 2009 campaign on a high note, defeating UW-River Falls 49-35 at Ramer Field today.

The Blugolds avenge two losses which they suffered to the Falcons each of the last two years. Eau Claire ends its season with a 6-4 overall and 4-3 conference record, taking fourth place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. River Falls finished with a 2-8 mark on the season and 1-6 in conference play.

The teams battled back and forth in the first quarter before River Falls doubled up the score on the Blugolds in the second quarter. River Falls got on the board right off the bat with a touchdown but the Blugolds answered right back with a touchdown of their own. The Falcons added another on their next possession, as did the Blugolds, and River Falls once again scored to end the first quarter on top 21-14.

The Falcons then took a 28-14 lead with just over 9 minutes left in the half but the Blugolds again had an answer and found the end zone to cut the Falcon lead back to seven. On the Blugolds' next drive, they tied the game back up and just before the end of the half, scored again to make the score 35-28 in favor of Eau Claire.

The Blugolds added a touchdown in each of the next two quarters, while River Falls scored with 6:34 left in the game to make the score 49-35. The Blugolds punted twice the rest of the game and River Falls had a good drive that last 12 plays and went 72 yards but stalled on the Blugolds' 20 to give the ball back to Eau Claire for the final time.

Eau Claire finished the game with 574 yards of offense, 229 rushing and 345 passing while River Falls had 198 on the ground and 296 through the air for a total of 494.

Cory Sartorelli (Sr.-Appleton, Wis./North) led the Blugolds with 163 rushing yards while Kyle Paulson (Sr.-Amery, Wis.) had 66. Paulson also finished with a career-high 345 yards passing with 26 completions on 35 attempts and three touchdowns. His longest pass of the day came on a 49-yard touchdown catch by David Goodman (So.-Neenah, Wis.), who had 111 receiving yards to lead Eau Claire.

Granger Taft (Jr.-Rosemount, Minn.) led Eau Claire on the defensive side of the ball with 10 tackles, including one sack for a loss of seven yards. Kyle Thorpe (Fr.-Stanley, Wis./Stanley-Boyd/Moorhead St.) was part of the games' only turnover as he picked off a pass in the second quarter, which then led to the Blugolds' going up 35-28 on the ensuing drive.