DE PERE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The seventh ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team was back in action on Friday evening for the first game of a weekend series with the St. Norbert College Green Knights. A special teams battle broke out in the final two periods, but it was the SNC Green Knights capitalizing twice to hand UWEC the 2-0 defeat.
The opening period held a close contest between the two teams. Both squads recorded eight shots each in the opening frame despite neither side finding the back of the net. Both teams kept the game fluid and stayed out of the box in the first as both teams hit the locker rooms tied at 0-0.
The second period began with a much different tune than the first as the Blugolds found their first powerplay opportunity in the first 44 seconds of play. Special teams play played a huge role throughout the contest as UW-Eau Claire failed to capitalize on their first of six man advantages. UWEC finished the night going 0-for-6 on powerplays during the 60 minutes of regulation.
With 12 combined total penalties for the two teams, St. Norbert also found themselves with six powerplay opportunities. The Green Knights found the back of the net on two separate man advantages, once in the second period and once in the third, to eventually upset the #7 ranked Blugolds, 2-0.
Max Gutjahr (So. – Appleton, Wis./Kimberly) stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced in his second loss of the season. Gutjahr is now 4-2-1 on the year.
The Blugolds (5-2-1, WIAC 2-1) will return home and conclude the home-and-home series with the Green Knights on Saturday, November 25
th. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
