STEVENS POINT, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team defeated No. 9 UW-Stevens Point 4-3 in Game 1 of a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament semifinal series on Friday at K.B. Willett Arena. The Blugolds took a 3-0 lead before the Pointers pulled level, only for UW-Eau Claire to find the winner in the third period.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UW-Eau Claire (13-14-1) scored the first three goals of the game. The Pointers (18-6-2) rallied, but Leo Bacallao (Jr. - Madison, Wis./Memorial) scored the game-winner in the third period.
- After a scoreless first peirod, Tyler Herzberg (So. - Germantown, Wis./University School of Milwaukee) put UW-Eau Claire ahead with an unassisted goal early in the second period.
- Less than two minutes after Herzberg's goal, Bacallao doubled the Blugolds' lead with a goal off assists from Herzberg and Kade Peterson (West Fargo, N.D./Northstar Christian Academy).
- The Blugolds went ahead 3-0 on a goal from Max Dronen (Fr. - Moorhead, Minn.) with about 11 minutes left in the second period. Dayne Hoyord (So. - Scandinavia, Wis./Stevens Point, Wis.) and Peterson assisted.
- The Pointers got on the board in the final minute of the second period, and scored twice more in the first 12-plus minutes of the third period to tie the game at 3-3. But Bacallao scored the game-winner off an assist from Connor Thompson (Fr. - Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. The Blugolds held on from there to see out the victory.
- Ethan Roberts (Jr. - Cary, N.C./Loomis Chaffee) made 18 saves in net.
- The Blugolds out-shot the Pointers 39-21.
UP NEXT
The series resumes with Game 2 on Saturday, March 1, in Stevens Point. The opening face-off is at 7 p.m.
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