Box Score EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's soccer team advanced to its first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament championship game with a 4-0 victory over UW-Whitewater in the semifinals on Friday at Simpson Field. Tobias Volkmann (Fr. - Three Lakes, Wis.) scored his first career hat trick to help the top-seeded Blugolds book their spot in the conference championship game, where they will play for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Volkmann got the Blugolds off to a flying start, striking off assists from Nathan Donovan (Sr. - Hazel Green, Wis./Wahlert Catholic) and Jacob Sampson (Sr. - McFarland, Wis.) in the 12th minute. The score remained 1-0 heading into halftime.
• Volkmann doubled UW-Eau Claire's lead shortly after the break. The freshman scored with help from Andrew Phillips (So. - Libertyville, Ill.) and Tate McDermott (Fr. - Grimes, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes) in the 50th minute.
• Carson Kowalski (Jr. - Mundelein, Ill.) scored unassisted in the 57th minute to make it 3-0 in favor of UW-Eau Claire. Volkmann finished off his hat trick with a rocket of a strike in the 80th minute, scoring from the edge of the box.
• Spencer Banks (Sr. - Stevens Point, Wis.) kept a clean sheet in goal. He made a pair of saves.
• With the victory, UW-Eau Claire has now beaten every WIAC team this season. The Warhawks were the only conference team the Blugolds didn't defeat in the regular season, instead tying 2-2 on October 30.

UP NEXT

The seventh-ranked and top-seeded Blugolds will play for their first-ever WIAC Tournament (Presented by Culver's) championship when they host second-seeded UW-Platteville on Sunday, November 10 at Simpson Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

The Blugolds defeated the Pioneers 2-0 in their only previous meeting this season. It will also be a rematch of an NCAA Tournament regional final game from the 2023 season, a game UW-Eau Claire won 2-0.

UW-Eau Claire is seeking its third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

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