EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The #10 ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's hockey team concluded their weekend series with St. Norbert College on Saturday evening as the Blugolds hosted Alumni Night. After finding their first lead of the weekend in the first period, UW-Eau Claire tallied goals in both the second and third periods to earn the 3-1 home victory and split the weekend series.
Despite falling the night before, the game plan was the same for the Blugolds: shoot quickly and often. After recording 40 shots on goal the night before, UWEC tallied 47 shots on net as they kept their offensive pressure high through the 60 minutes of play.
Eden Gruber (Sr. – Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) found the opening tally for Eau Claire at the 15:30 mark of the first period with a slap shot from the blue line that rifled its way into the top left corner, giving UWEC the 1-0 before the first intermission.
McKenna Sandberg (Fr. – Saint Michael, Minn./Rogers) tallied her third assist of the year on Gruber's sixth goal of the season.
As the Blugolds entered the second period with a one goal lead, their pressure increased as they recorded 20 shots on goal in the middle frame. Just over halfway through the period,
Samantha Bandholz (Jr. – Richfield, Wis./Slinger) put home her fifth goal of the season in front of the net after receiving a pass from
Sophie Rausch (Sr. – Fergus Falls, Minn.).
Quinn Hartmetz (Jr. – Phoenixville, Pa./Gilmour Academy) also received an assist on Bandholz's tally. The Green Knights refused to go away as St. Norbert cut the Blugold lead back to one goal in the final minutes of the second period sending both teams into the second intermission with a 2-1 UWEC lead.
The final period saw a tightened defense from the Blugolds as they out shot SNC, 18-4. Despite having two powerplay opportunities and possession of the puck for a large duration of the frame, Eau Claire was kept scoreless until the final two minutes of regulation as
Sophie Rausch netted her team leading 17
th goal of the season on an empty net.
Sydney Johnson (Sr. – Apple Valley, Minn.) recorded the lone assist on Rausch's only goal of the game as Eau Claire earned their 11
th win of the season and 7
th victory at home, 3-1.
Alexa Backmann (Fr. – Saint Michael, Minn./Rogers) stopped 17 of the 18 shots she faced to earn her third victory of the career. Backmann is now 3-2-0 on the season.
The Blugolds (11-4-0, WIAC 2-1-0) will turn their attention to Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play when they travel to Superior, Wis. on Thursday, January 11
th to faceoff with the Yellowjackets. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Siinto S. Wessman Arena.
