MIDDLEBURY, Vt. (Blugolds.com) – The #9 ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's hockey team was on the East coast on Saturday as they began play in the annual Panther/Cardinal hosted by Middlebury University. The Blugolds' opening game saw a top-10 matchup as the ninth ranked UWEC faced off with the fourth ranked Plattsburgh State Cardinals. Despite outshooting the Cardinals, the Blugolds only found the back of the net once as they fell for the third time this season, 6-1.
The opening period found UW-Eau Claire with an early deficit as Plattsburgh State scored twice in the first two minutes of regulation. The 2-0 hole held during the entire first frame as Eau Claire fought to cut the Cardinal lead as the Blugolds outshot Plattsburgh, 11-6.
In the second period, the Cardinals extended their lead to three goals in the opening four minutes of play. The Blugolds answered moments later as
Maddie Hulter (Fr. – Fergus Falls, Minn.) netted her third goal of the season to cut the lead back to two goals. Plattsburgh added a tally of their own two minutes later to extend their lead back to three goals. After an opening period that saw no penalties, UW-Eau Claire found themselves with two late powerplay opportunities but couldn't capitalize on either chance.
With a 4-1 deficit heading into the third period, UWEC defended the lone Cardinal powerplay opportunity of the evening in the middle of the frame to keep the lead from growing. A pair of late turnovers by the Blugolds were jumped on by the Cardinals as they handed Eau Claire the 6-1 loss in their opening game of the Panther/Cardinal Classic.
Alexa Backmann (Fr. – Saint Michael, Minn./Rogers) stopped 14 of the 20 shots she faced in her second loss of the season. Backmann is now 2-2-0 on the year.
The Blugolds (6-3-0, WIAC 2-1-0) will play their final game of the Panther/Cardinal Classic on Sunday, November 26
th when they face fifteenth ranked Endicott College. Puck drop from Middlebury University is scheduled for 1 p.m. CST.
