EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The eighth ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team was back at home on Friday night for a top-10 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) matchup with ninth ranked UW-Stevens Point in town. The first contest of a home-and-home series between the Blugolds and Pointers lived up to the hype as both teams battled for conference points. An extra period of play was needed between the two Midwest juggernauts as both teams found the net only once in regulation. Despite controlling the puck in the offensive zone to start overtime, a turnover led to a Pointer goal, giving UW-Eau Claire just their second loss of the season, 2-1.
In the second period, the Blugolds had their work cut out for them early as they were assessed two penalties in the first ten minutes of the frame. Eau Claire used two successful penalty kills to gain some momentum as the period continued.
Leo Bacallao (So. – Madison, Wis./Vel Phillips Memorial) found the first tally of the night at the 12:51 mark on an odd man rush into the offensive zone. After receiving a rink wide pass from
Kyler Grundy (Jr. – Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Indian Trail Academy), Bacallao ripped the puck under the Stevens Point goalie's glove to give UWEC the 1-0 lead. Bacallao's 8
th goal of the season was assisted by Grundy and
Colin Stein (Jr. – Pewaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial). The physicality and intensity increased throughout the rest of the period as the Blugolds hit the locker room with a 1-0 lead.
UW-Stevens Point refused to back down in the third frame of the evening as the Pointers found their first goal of the night in the opening three minutes to tie the game at 1-1. Both sides battled hard as the clock wound down in the final period of regulation. Neither team found the back of the net in the remaining seven minutes of the third as overtime was needed to settle the score.
In overtime, the Blugolds held possession in the offensive zone early, but a mishandled puck by Eau Claire led to an odd man rush for UWSP. The Pointers were initially shut down on their first shot attempt, but a rebound bounced in their favor as they found the open man on the back door to end the game, 2-1 in favor of the visitors.
Max Gutjahr (So. – Appleton, Wis./Kimberly) stopped 31 of the 33 shots he faced in his second loss of the season. Gutjahr is now 7-2-1 on the year.
The Blugolds (8-3-1, WIAC 4-2) will conclude the home-and-home series with UW-Stevens Point on Saturday, December 9
th in Stevens Point, Wis. Puck drop from K.B. Willett Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
