EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The #10 ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's hockey team was back on at home on Wednesday night as they kicked off the new year with a nonconference game against Lake Forest College. After finding key chances early in the first, UW-Eau Claire kept their offensive pressure high during all 60 minutes of play to earn the 8-0 shutout victory.
The opening period saw both teams battle out of the gate as the two squads recorded five shots on goal each. Sophie Rasuch (Sr. – Fergus Falls, Minn.) opened the scoring on the powerplay at the 9:21 mark after receiving a back door pass from
Sadie Long (Jr. – Farmington, Minn.) to give UWEC the 1-0 lead. Long and
Maddie Hulter (Fr. – Fergus Falls, Minn.) each earned assists on the game's opening tally.
The Blugolds kept their special teams' play in order as
Eden Gruber (Sr. – Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) extended the lead minutes later with a tip in front of the net on Eau Claire's 20
th powerplay goal of the season.
Quinn Hartmetz (Jr. – Phoenixville, Pa./Gilmour Academy) and
Hattie Verstegen (Sr. – Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh North) earned assists on Gruber's 5
th goal of the season to extend the Blugold lead to 2-0. Hartmetz got in on the action in the final five minutes of the period with a shot from the blue line that found its way past the Lake Forest netminder, giving UWEC a 3-0 lead at the first intermission. Sam Bandholz (Jr. – Richfield, Wis./Slinger) and
Rachel Mirwald (So. – Verona, Wis.) were credited with the assists.
In the second period, the Blugolds struck early as
Sadie Long tallied her 3
rd goal of the season off a rebound in front of the crease to extend the Eau Claire lead to 4-0. A tip out front by
Ava Bullert (So. – North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) off the initial shot from
Sydney Johnson (Sr. – Apple Valley, Minn.) earned the Minnesota natives assists on goal. Less than three minutes later,
Sophie Rausch and
Maddie Hulter each found the back of the net 17 seconds apart to extend the UWEC lead to 6-0. Hartmetz earned an assist on Rausch's second goal of the night and Hulter's 4
th goals of the season was unassisted.
Just over halfway through the middle frame,
Hattie Verstegen lit the lamp for the 5
th time this season off another rebound in front of the Forester goalie, bringing the UW-Eau Claire lead to 7-0.
McKenna Sandberg (Fr. – Saint Michael, Minn./Rogers) and
Ava Bullert both earned assists on the final Blugold goal of the second as the team hit the second intermission with a seven-goal lead.
In the final period of play, the Blugolds maintained possession and were particular with their shots.
Keira Bolt (So. – Boise, Idaho) netted her first career goal in a Blugold sweater on a shot from the point that zipped into the top corner of the net. Bolt's first goal was assisted by
Sophie Rausch and
Kenzie Keller (Fr. – Mankato, Minn./Mankato East) and would be the final goal of the evening as the Blugolds overpowered the Foresters, 8-0.
Josie Mathison (Sr. – Tomah, Wis.) stopped all 12 shots she faced in her first shutout of the season and tenth win. Mathison is now 8-1-0 on the year.
The Blugolds (10-3-0, WIAC 2-1-0) will continue their week of home games on Friday, January 5
th when they St. Norbert College in the first game of a weekend doubleheader. Puck drop from Hobbs Ice Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
