MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — #11 UW-Eau Claire (10-3-0) was defeated by #3 Augsburg (7-2-1), 3–0, at Augsburg's home arena. Augsburg's defense held strong, limiting the Blugolds to 28 shots and securing the shutout.
The first period opened with UW-Eau Claire and Augsburg vying for control, as both teams traded early shots without success. Augsburg had a significant opportunity late in the period, capitalizing on a power play at 18:58 when Payton Behr scored with assists from Nora Stepan and Ruby Eskin. UW-Eau Claire had a power play chance as well but failed to convert, with Marissa Paaske making several key saves for Augsburg. The period concluded with Augsburg leading 1-0, as
Kambelle Freije kept the Blugolds within reach by stopping multiple attempts.
Augsburg extended their advantage in the second period with a goal from Gaby Matson at 11:18, assisted by Aunna Schulte and Emma Abrahamson. The Blugolds struggled to capitalize on their opportunities, with Marissa Paaske making several key saves, including multiple attempts by
Madisyn Krumholz and
Adrienne Hansen. Despite a late power play opportunity, UWEC failed to convert, leaving Augsburg ahead 2–0 at the end of the period. The visitors will need to regroup for the final period to close the deficit.
In the third period, UW-Eau Claire started with aggression, winning the initial faceoff and quickly generating multiple shot attempts. However, Augsburg's goaltender, Marissa Paaske, continued her strong performance turning away attempts from
Keira Bolt and
Jordan Hancock, among others. With less than a minute remaining, Jenna Allen of Augsburg hit the pipe with a shot, narrowly missing a goal. Moments later, Allen capitalized on an empty-net opportunity at 19:53, sealing Augsburg's 3-0 victory with an unassisted goal.
Madisyn Krumholz excelled in faceoffs, winning 60% of her draws.
Adrienne Hansen contributed by winning eight of her 14 faceoffs, maintaining a 57% success rate.
Kambelle Freije made a solid impact as a goalie, recording 18 saves.
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire holds a 10-3-0 overall record, maintaining its position as the eleventh-ranked team nationally. Augsburg stands at 7-2-1 overall and is ranked third nationally.
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