EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (12-5-0) defeated Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (6-7-0), 7–0, at home. The Blugolds' defense held the Cardinals to just 15 shots on goal, securing a shutout with 15 saves.
The first period commenced with Saint Mary's winning the initial faceoff but UW-Eau Claire soon took control. At 8:24,
Ava Bullert opened the scoring for the Blugolds, assisted by
Jana Lesch. Just minutes later,
Adrienne Hansen extended their lead to 2–0 with assistance from
Maddie Hulter at 11:46. A rapid response followed as
Madisyn Krumholz made it 3–0 with an unassisted goal at 11:54. Despite several attempts by the Cardinals, including a shot that hit the pipe by Leah Parker, they were unable to find the back of the net, leaving UW-Eau Claire with a three-goal lead by the end of the period.
UWEC extended their lead in the second period with two more goals.
Jordan Hancock opened the scoring at 15:36, assisted by
Lauren Ballinger and
Ashley Wagenbach, increasing the home team's advantage. Later,
Kenzie Keller added another goal at 10:18, assisted by Hulter and Wagenbach, bringing the score to 5–0. Saint Mary's struggled to penetrate the Blugolds' defense, as
Kambelle Freije consistently denied their attempts, and the period ended with the home team firmly in control.
The Blugolds secured a commanding victory with a 7–0 win over Saint Mary's, adding on to their lead with two third-period goals.
Nora Carstensen extended the lead to 6–0 at 15:41 with an even-strength goal assisted by
Kylie Wiltse. Just over a minute later, Hansen found the net at 16:51, assisted by Hulter and Wagenbach. The Blugolds' solid defense and effective goaltending preserved the shutout.
Hulter contributed significantly with three assists and a +5 rating. Bullert scored the game-winning goal and took five shots. Hansen posted two goals and maintained a +3 rating. Freije recorded 15 saves to secure the shutout.
UW-Eau Claire improved to 12-5-0 overall following their victory. The Cardinals fell to 6-7-0 overall after the loss.
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