ST. PETER, Minn. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team was back on the road Saturday night for their third nonconference game of the year as they faced off with Gustavus Adolphus College. After two scoreless periods of hockey, the Blugolds erupted with four goals in the final 20 minutes to earn their third win of the year, 4-0.
UW-Eau Claire and Gustavus went back and forth in the opening two frames as neither side could find the back of the net. The Blugolds controlled the tempo and the ice for most of the opening play as they out shot the Gusties 20-10 in the first two periods. UWEC's penalty kill shutdown Gustavus's two opportunities on the night as Eau Claire stayed sound defensively.
In the third,
Leo Bacallao (So. – Madison, Wis./Vel Phillips Memorial) opened the scoring at the 10:13 mark with a missile into the top right corner to put UWEC up, 1-0.
Kyle Oleksiuk (Jr. – Winnipeg, Manitoba) earned the lone assist on Bacallao's second goal of the year. Nearly 90 seconds later,
Cade Lemmer (So. – Tomahawk, Wis./Wausau West) found
Sammy Martel (Sr. – Bolingbrook, Ill./Nequa Valley) open out front as Martel found the back of the net with a one-timer to extend the Blugold lead to 2-0.
Willy Stauber (Sr. – Duluth, Minn./Marshall) earned the secondary assist on Martel's goal as UWEC found their momentum.
With less than seven minutes left,
Quinn Green (Sr. – West Chicago, Ill./St. Charles East) capitalized on a 2-on-1 with
Jack Johnston (Sr. – Saint Paul, Minn./St. Paul Academy & Summit School) as Green beat the Gustie netminder up high for his second goal of the season. Later in the third, the Blugolds killed off a two-minute penalty to keep Gustavus off the score sheet.
Jack Johnston sealed the 4-0 victory with an empty net goal with seconds remaining as the Blugolds improved to 3-0 on the year.
Max Gutjahr (So. – Appleton, Wis./Kimberly) stopped all 24 shots he faced to earn his first shutout of the year and fourth shutout of his career. Gutjahr is not 3-0 on the season.
The Blugolds (3-0, WIAC 0-0) will be back at home on Saturday, November 11
th when they host Bethel University. Puck drop from Hobbs Ice Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
