EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's hockey team began Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic (WIAC) play on Friday night with Northland College in town. The Blugolds used their special teams play to secure the 5-2 victory with four power play goals on six opportunities.
As UW-Eau Claire out shot the LumberJills 13-5 in the opening period,
Hattie Verstegen (Sr. – Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh North) opened the scoring in the final two minutes on the power play to give UWEC a 1-0 heading into the first intermission.
Sadie Long (Jr. – Farmington, Minn.) and
Taylar Meier (Sr. – River Falls, Wis./Columbine (Colo.)) both earned assists on the Verstegen's third goal of the year.
The second period held a flurry of goals for Eau Claire as
Eden Gruber (Sr. – Wausau, Wis./Wausau West),
Maddie Hulter (Fr. – Fergus Falls, Minn.), and
Sadie Long each found the back of the net as Eau Claire increased their lead to 4-1. Hulter and Long found their tallies on the power play as the Blugolds scored on their first three power play opportunities.
Kylie Wiltse (Fr. – Roseville, Minn.),
Rachel Mirwald (So. – Verona, Wis.),
Sophie Rausch (Sr. – Fergus Falls, Minn.), Sam Bandholz (Jr. – Richfield, Wis./Slinger), and
Eden Gruber all earned assists on the three second period goals.
In the third,
Eden Gruber found her second goal of the evening on the power play as she finished the night with two goals, and one assists. Verstegen and Long earned the assists on Gruber's third goal of the season as UWEC increased their lead to 5-1.
Sadie Long finished the evening with one goal and two assists.
A late goal from Northland was not enough to overcome their deficit as UW-Eau Claire secured the 5-2 win at home.
Alexa Backmann (Fr. – Saint Michaels, Minn./Rogers) stopped 12 of the 14 shots she faced to earn her second win of the year. Backmann is now 2-1 on the season.
The Blugolds (5-1, WIAC 1-0) jump back into WIAC play on Saturday, November 11
th when they host UW-Superior. Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m.
