EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — UW-Eau Claire secured a decisive 3-0 victory over Elmhurst on Saturday at Simpson Field. The Blugolds dominated the match with 17 total shots, eight of which were on goal, while their defense held Elmhurst to just two shots, none on target. The Blugolds took a 2-0 lead into halftime and added a third goal in the second half. Elmhurst played a man down following a red card late in the second half.
The first half opened with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire asserting early control as
Owen Williams found the back of the net in the 9th minute, assisted by
Tate McDermott and
Caden Vande Hey. Elmhurst struggled to counter, and
Carson Kowalski capitalized in the 24th minute with another goal, assisted by
Alek Laroi, doubling the lead for UW-Eau Claire. Despite several attempts by Elmhurst, UWEC's strong defense kept the visitors scoreless, concluding the half with a 2-0 advantage.
The second half began with UW-Eau Claire maintaining pressure and controlling possession.
Owen Backus extended the lead to 3-0 in the 68th minute with a goal assisted by
Alvaro Alanis and McDermott. Elmhurst faced disciplinary challenges, highlighted by a red card in the 88th minute, solidifying a strong defensive performance for the Blugolds.
Williams scored the game-winning goal on his only shot, which was also on target. McDermott contributed two assists and registered two shots, with one on goal. Kowalski found the back of the net once, converting both of his shots into shots on goal.
Kalan McIlveen recorded a shutout in goal, facing two shots and securing the 1-0-0 win.
UW-Eau Claire improved to 3-1-1 overall after the victory. Elmhurst fell to 3-3-1 on the season.
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