EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The seventh-ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's hockey team caught fire offensively in a dominant 8-1 victory over St. Scholastica on Saturday at Hobbs Ice Arena.
Sophie Rausch (Sr. - Fergus Falls, Minn.) scored a hat trick and
Kenzie Keller (Fr. - Mankato, Minn./Mankato East) added two goals as the Blugolds cruised to the win.
UW-Eau Claire scored a pair of goals in the first period to establish a strong foothold. Rausch struck off assists from
Eden Gruber (Sr. - Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) and
Maddie Hulter (Fr. - Fergus Falls, Minn.) after 10:50 had passed in the period to open the scoring. Keller doubled the lead in the waning seconds of the first period, scoring off an assist from
Hattie Verstegen (Sr. - Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh North) to make it 2-0.
The Blugolds broke the game open in the second period, finding the back of the net four times to turn the contest into a lopsided affair.
McKenna Sandberg (Fr. - St. Michael, Minn./Rogers) scored off assists from
Rachel Mirwald (So. - Verona, Wis.) and
Ava Johansson (Fr. - Rogers, Minn.) just over two minutes into the period to make the score 3-0. Special teams then proved their impact for the Blugolds, who scored two of their next three goals on the power play. The other goal came short-handed.
Sydney Johnson (Sr. - Apple Valley, Minn.) struck for the first power-play goal, turning an assist from Verstegen past the Saints' goalie after 5:40 had passed in the period. Rausch then scored a short-handed goal just under six minutes later off an assist by
Kylie Wiltse (Fr. - Roseville, Minn.). Rausch added a power-play goal in the final three minutes of the period with help from
Samantha Bandholz (Jr. - Richfield, Wis./Slinger) and
Ava Bullert (So. - North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View).
St. Scholastica scored its only goal early in the third period. However, the Blugolds answered with goals from Bullert and Keller to ice the game away. Bandholz, Gruber, Verstegen and
Keira Bolt (So. - Boise, Idaho) all had assists in the final period.
The Blugolds out-shot the Saints 50-13. Verstegen finished with three assists and Bandholz and Gruber both had two.
Josie Mathison (Sr. - Tomah, Wis.) made 12 saves in net for UW-Eau Claire.
The Blugolds (3-1-0) will be back in action on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at Concordia Wisconsin. Game time is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. in Mequon, Wis.
