RIVER FALLS, Minn. (Blugolds.com) – The #6 ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's hockey team was back on the ice Wednesday after taking the previous weekend off. While on the road at #1 ranked UW-River Falls, fans in attendance at Hunt Arena got their money's worth during the top-10 and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) match up. The Blugolds battled hard all night and forced an overtime period a goal in each period before eventually falling in overtime, 4-3.
UW-Eau Claire got the early jump on the top ranked team in the nation as
Sophie Rausch (Sr. – Fergus Falls, Minn.) fired the opening goal through the UWRF netminder's legs, giving UWEC a 1-0 while on the powerplay. Rausch's only tally of the night was assisted by
Sydney Johnson (Sr. – Apple Valley, Minn.) at 9:18 of the first frame. Less than five minutes later, the Falcons found their first tally to tie the game at 1-1 as both teams hit the first intermission tied at one goal apiece.
The second period opened against the Blugolds as River Falls found their first lead of the night on the powerplay in the opening minutes of the frame giving Eau Claire a 2-1 deficit. Eau Claire continued their battle and were rewarded in the final minutes of the period as
Eden Gruber (Sr. – Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) tied the game at 2-2 with a slapshot from just below the left dot into the top corner. Gruber's seventh goal of the season was assisted by
Hattie Verstegen (Sr. – Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh North). The top ranked Falcons didn't allow Eau Claire momentum for long as they regained their lead less than 60 seconds later, giving UWEC a 2-3 deficit as they went to the third period.
With just 20 minutes left in regulation, the Blugolds had their work cut out for them as they looked to grab important points in the WIAC standings. As the two top teams in the nation battled back and forth for an edge, it was
Sadie Long (Jr. – Farmington, Minn.) converting on a 3-on-1 with
Sophie Rausch to tie the game at 3-3 just after the halfway mark. After Long and Rausch's offensive conversion, neither team found the back of the net for the remainder of regulation as UW-Eau Claire forced the Falcons into overtime for the first time this season.
In the extra frame, Eau Claire found the early opportunity, but it was UWRF finding the game winning goal on a rebound out front giving UWEC just their first overtime loss of the season.
Alexa Backmann (Fr. – Saint Michael, Minn./Rogers) stopped 33 of the 37 shots she faced in just her third loss of the season. Backmann is now 9-3-0 on the year.
The Blugolds (17-5-0, WIAC 7-2-0) will continue WIAC play this weekend with a two game road series in Ashland, Wis. against Northland College on Friday and Saturday, February 9
th and 10
th. Puck drop on Friday from Bay Area Civic Center at 7 p.m.
