SUPERIOR, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The #12 ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's hockey team returned to Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play on Thursday evening with a trip up North to UW-Superior to faceoff with the Yellowjackets. An offensive minded conference matchup was dominated by the Blugolds as they recorded 40 shots on goal for the third game in a row during their 4-1 win.
Hattie Verstegen (Sr. – Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh North) opened the scoring in the final five minutes of the first period with her sixth goal of the season.
Ava Bullert (So. – North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) and
Eden Gruber (Sr. – Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) earned assists on the lone goal of the first frame as Eau Claire out shot Superior 14-7.
In the second period,
Sophie Rausch (Sr. – Fergus Falls, Minn.) increased her point streak to seven games after cutting to the slot and rifling a shot past the Superior netminder to increase the UWEC lead to 2-0.
Taylar Meier (Sr. – River Falls, Wis./Columbine) and
Ellie Andersen (Jr. – Fergus Falls, Minn.) recorded assists on Rausch's team leading 18
th goal of the season. Rausch has tallied at least one point in all but one game this year for the Blugolds.
With a two-goal lead, the Blugolds entered the final period in full control. Saide Long (Jr. – Farmington, Minn.) extended the UWEC just over nine minutes into the third with her fourth goal of the season, making it 3-0. UW-Superior never quit as the Yellowjackets spoiled the chance at a shutout with their lone goal of the evening at 11:44 of the third frame.
McKenna Sandberg (Fr. – Saint Michael, Minn./Rogers) regained the three-goal lead just two minutes later and sealed the 4-1 win for Eau Claire.
In a game with 18 minutes of penalties, the Blugolds successfully killed all four penalties they were called on.
Alexa Backmann (Fr. – Saint Michael, Minn./Rogers) stopped 15 of the 16 shots she faced to earn her fourth win of the season. Backmann is now 4-2-0 on the year.
The Blugolds (12-4-0, WIAC 3-1-0) will return home for another matchup with the Yellowjackets on Saturday, January 13
th at Hobbs Ice Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m.
