EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (4-3-1) secured a 4–2 victory over St. Norbert College (8-3-0) at home Saturday night. The Blugolds' defense stood firm with 29 saves, while their offense managed to outscore the visitors with goals in each period.
The first period began with UW-Eau Claire's
Max Gutjahr and St. Norbert's Hunter Garvey in goal. Just 1:29 into the period,
Luke Lavery scored the opening goal for the Blugolds, assisted by
Danny Reis and
Nolan Grier, putting the home team ahead 1–0. Despite multiple attempts by St. Norbert, including a power play opportunity following a penalty on
Trenten Heyde, they were unable to equalize. Both teams had several shots that missed or were saved, leaving UWEC with a 1–0 lead at the end of the period.
St. Norbert scored early in the second period with Ethan Byrne's goal at 11:10, assisted by Blake Ulve and Mark Snarr. However, the Blugolds responded swiftly when Lavery scored at 9:19, with assists from Heyde and
Easton Inglis, giving the Blugolds a 2-1 lead. The home team then pulled ahead with a goal from
Kade Peterson at 4:01, assisted by Heyde and
Tyler Herzberg, marking Peterson's second of the season and ultimately the game-winning goal. Despite a late power play for St. Norbert, the period ended 3–1 in favor of UW-Eau Claire.
St. Norbert pulled closer with a goal at 6:05 of the third period when Calvin Hanson scored at even strength, assisted by Ben Edwards and Jack Seaverson. The game remained tense as both teams exchanged blocked shots and saves, with UWEC capitalizing late.
Dayne Hoyord scored the decisive goal for the Blugolds, assisted by Reis, pushing the score to 4-2. St. Norbert pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 25 seconds remaining, but UW-Eau Claire maintained their advantage to secure the win.
Peterson scored one goal and secured the game-winning tally, contributing significantly to the team's success. Lavery recorded two goals on four shots, enhancing the offensive effort. Gutjahr made 29 saves while allowing two goals, providing a strong presence in the net. Heyde assisted twice and finished with a plus-minus of plus-four, showcasing effective play on both ends of the ice.
The Blugolds improved to 4-3-1 overall after their victory. St. Norbert fell to 8-3-0 following the road loss.
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