EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — St. Catherine claimed a 2-0 victory over UW-Eau Claire on Tuesday at Simpson Field. St. Catherine took the lead with a first-half goal and secured the win with another in the second half. UW-Eau Claire's goalkeeper recorded nine saves in the match, but it was not enough to overcome the two-goal deficit. St. Catherine's defense held strong, limiting the home team to six shots on goal.
The first half commenced with both teams establishing their defensive strategies, as the Blugolds and St. Catherine exchanged attempts on goal. UW-Eau Claire's
Bella Jones made key saves, particularly against shots from Jaidyn Richter and Bella Meier, maintaining a tight defensive stance. On the offensive end,
Emma Donovan and
Mikalyn Hidde tested St. Catherine's goalkeeper, Brianna Valdez, who managed to keep the home team off the scoreboard.
As the half progressed, the Blugolds continued to press forward, but St. Catherine's Emily Olson broke the deadlock in the 44th minute, assisted by Emily Henaman. This goal gave St. Catherine a 1-0 lead just before the break, setting the stage for a competitive second half.
The second half commenced with UW-Eau Claire looking to shift momentum, as
Emma Donovan's shot on goal in the 52nd minute required a save by St. Catherine's goalkeeper, Brianna Valdez. Jones remained crucial for the Blugolds, making key saves against multiple attempts by St. Catherine, including shots by Jaidyn Richter and Lydia Benson. However, St. Catherine broke through with a goal from Charlotte Willems in the 64th minute, assisted by Bella Meier, extending their lead.
UW-Eau Claire continued to press forward, with
Ava Glenn's shot in the 88th minute being saved by Valdez, as the team sought to reduce the deficit. Despite a series of attempts and defensive stops, the half closed with St. Catherine maintaining a 2-0 lead, concluding the match.
Bella Jones recorded nine saves for the Blugolds, with six coming in the second half.
Mikalyn Hidde led the team with three shots, two of which were on goal.
Emma Donovan also contributed with three shots, matching Hidde's tally of two on target.
Ava Glenn added two shots, with one on goal, to the team's offensive efforts.
UWEC holds a record of 1-6-2 overall. St. Catherine stands at 7-1-0 overall and is 2-0-0 in conference play.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at
Blugolds.com or on our app,
Blugold Sports, and on social media on
Twitter,
Instagram, and
Facebook.
