SUPERIOR, Wis. — The No. 7 ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's soccer team defeated the No. 12 ranked University of Wisconsin-Superior 4-0 on Thursday at SCCU Stadium. The Blugolds' defense held strong, with their goalkeeper recording three saves en route to a shutout. The offensive effort was led by a balanced attack that saw four different players score, sealing the win with two goals in each half.
The first half saw the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire take control with decisive actions, as
Krystof Cicha opened the scoring in the 26th minute to put the visitors ahead. UW-Eau Claire continued their momentum, capitalizing again in the 31st minute when
Caden Vande Hey scored with assists from
Aiden Judickas and
Tate McDermott to extend the lead to 2-0. Goalkeeper
Charlie Mroz played a pivotal role, making an early save in the 9th minute to keep the Yellowjackets at bay, helping UWEC maintain their two-goal advantage into the break.
The second half saw the Blugolds extend their lead with two crucial goals, securing a decisive advantage. At the 80:53 mark,
Tavin Ferner scored with an assist from Judickas, pushing UW-Eau Claire ahead 3-0. Just over three minutes later, McDermott found the net again, assisted by
Noah Malcook, sealing a 4-0 victory as UWEC's defense, led by goalkeeper Mroz, held the Yellowjackets scoreless throughout the period.
Cicha scored one goal and recorded the game-winning goal for UW-Eau Claire. McDermott added one goal and one assist, contributing three points in the match. Malcook finished with one assist and led the team with three shots, two of which were on goal. Goalkeeper Mroz posted a shutout with three saves across 90 minutes to secure the win.
UW-Eau Claire improved to 2-0-0 overall after the victory. UW-Superior fell to 0-2-0 overall with the defeat.
The next challenge for the Blugolds comes in the form of a road matchup against Edgewood College. The game is set for Sunday, Sept. 7, at 3 p.m. at Edgewood College Field at Reddan Park in Madison, Wis.
