Box Score ST. CLOUD, Minn. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team hit the road for the first time this season as they traveled across state lines for a nonconference matchup with Saint John's University (Minn.). The Blugolds came up big in the third period with three goals to solidify the 4-2 road victory.
RECAP
The Blugolds came out firing in the opening period as they outshot the Johnnies 19-5. UW-Eau Claire controlled the tempo from each faceoff as they 14 of the 24 draws in the first frame. Despite their offensive pressure, Eau Claire hit the first intermission with a scoreless tie.
The second period saw play even out between SJU and UWEC as the teams kept battling to find an edge. In the opening stages of the middle frame,
Tyler Herzberg (Fr. – Germantown, Wis./Univ. School of Milwaukee) cashed in on an odd man rush with
Sammy Martel (Sr. – Bolingbrook, Ill./Nequa Valley) and
Ryan Green (Sr. – Muskego, Wis.) to give UWEC a 1-0. Herzberg's opening tally recorded as his first goal in a Blugold sweater and first collegiate point. Just a little over 90 seconds later, the Jonnies evened the score at 1-1 for their first of two powerplay goals on the night. The second SJU goal came with eight minutes left in the second as the Blugolds held a 2-1 deficit entering the second intermission.
In the third,
Cade Lemmer (So. – Tomahawk, Wis./Wausau West) found time and space in the slot at the 9:28 mark and rifled home a wrist shot to tie the game at 2-2. The Blugolds kept the pressure on the Johnnies in the final frame as they outshot SJU 15-13 in the final 20 minutes of play. With under five minutes left in regulation and on the powerplay,
Willy Stauber (Sr. – Duluth, Minn./Marshall) ripped a shot from the blue line that found its way through traffic and past the SJU netminder to put UWEC up 3-2.
Quinn Green (Sr. – West Chicago, Ill./St. Charles East) and
Kyler Grundy (Jr. – Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Indian Trail Academy) earned the assists on the eventual game winning goal.
The Blugold defense held strong in the final moments of play as the Johnnies pulled their goalie for the extra attacker.
Kyle Oleksiuk (Jr. – Winnipeg, Manitoba) forced a SJU turnover in the defensive zone and sealed the road win for UWEC with an empty net goal in the final seconds of the contest.
Max Gutjahr (So. – Appleton, Wis./Kimberly) stopped 27 of the 29 shots he faced to earn his second win of the season. Gutjahr is 2-0 on the season.
The Blugolds (2-0, WIAC 0-0) will be back on the road Saturday, November 4
th when they travel to St. Peter, Minn. to face off with Gustavus Adolphus College. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Don Roberts Ice Rink.
