EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team began their quest for Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Commissioner's Cup on Friday. A semifinal series matchup with UW-Stout created an electric atmosphere at Hobbs Ice Arena. Despite out shooting the opposition 40-12, UW-Eau Claire fell short in the opening game of the weekend doubleheader, 2-1.
The opening period found both offenses going back-and-forth with opportunities at both ends of the rink. Eau Claire held the advantage in shots as the Blugolds started things off by out shooting the Blue Devils 9-7. UW-Eau Claire took the first penalty in the final minutes of the opening frame as they hit the first intermission tied 0-0 shorthanded.
The middle frame found the game's first goal as UW-Stout got ahead of the Blugolds at the 7:16 mark as a puck bounced off a Stout player's leg out front and found its way into the back of the net for a 1-0 UWEC deficit. The early Blue Devil powerplay goal was followed by Stout's second powerplay goal at the 15:27 mark. Eau Claire entered the second intermission with a 2-0 deficit despite continuing to out shoot the Blue Devils.
Ryan Green (Sr. – Muskego, Wis.) found the Blugolds lone goal of the evening in the third period off a loose puck out in front of the crease to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Tyler Love (Gr. – Pittsburgh, Pa./Moon Area) and Trenton Heyde (So. – Atlanta, Ga./Grayson) earned assists on Green's fourth goal of the season. UWEC kept their pressure high but couldn't find the equalizer as they fell 2-1 in game one of the series.
Max Gutjahr (So. – Appleton, Wis./Kimberly) stopped 10 of the 12 shots he faced in his eighth loss of the year. Gutjahr is now 15-8-2 on the season.
The Blugolds (16-8-2, WIAC 10-4-1) will be back at Hobbs Ice Arena for game two of the semifinal series with UW-Stout on Saturday, February 24
th. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
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