STEVENS POINT, Wis. — UW-Eau Claire (13-5-0, 6-0-0) defeated UW-Stevens Point (8-10-0, 2-3-0), 4-1, at K.B. Willett Arena. The Blugolds secured the victory with a dominant second period, scoring all four goals and outshooting the Pointers 64-17 overall.
The first period began with UW-Eau Claire winning the opening faceoff and creating early pressure. Despite outshooting their opponents, the Blugolds were unable to convert, as Claire Swanson made several saves. UW-Stevens Point capitalized on their chances midway through the period, with Amanda Pouchnik scoring unassisted at 16:11 to give the home team a 1–0 lead. The period ended with the Blugolds unable to find the back of the net, trailing by one goal.
The Blugolds took control early in the second period with consistent offensive pressure, eventually breaking through at 16:37 when
Ashley Wagenbach scored with assists from
Maddie Hulter and
Kylie Wiltse. Just minutes later,
Kenzie Keller added an unassisted goal at 11:12, which proved to be the game-winner. UW-Eau Claire continued to extend their lead with a short-handed goal by
Ava Bullert at 5:12, assisted by
Madisyn Krumholz and Wagenbach.
McKenna Sandberg capped the scoring for the period, netting an even-strength goal at 3:51 with an assist from Hulter, closing the period with a 4–1 advantage over the Pointers.
The third period saw the Blugolds maintain a steady offensive pressure against the Pointers, but neither team managed to score.
Adrienne Hansen dominated faceoffs, helping her team control the puck, while Claire Swanson of UW-Stevens Point turned away numerous shots, including attempts from Hulter and
Lauren Ballinger. A penalty on UW-Stevens Point's Skyler Arneson at 12:36 gave UWEC a power play, but they were unable to capitalize. As time wound down,
Ava Bullert's hooking penalty gave UW-Stevens Point a brief power play, but the period ended without any change in the 4-1 scoreline, in favor of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Bullert scored a goal and posted a +2 rating, contributing significantly to the team's performance. Hulter added two assists, helping create scoring opportunities with a +2 rating. Keller recorded the game-winning goal and maintained a +2 rating while winning 13 faceoffs. Wagenbach tallied a goal and an assist, finishing with two blocked shots and a +2 rating.
UW-Eau Claire improved to 13-5-0 overall and 6-0-0 in conference play following their victory. UW-Stevens Point's record fell to 8-10-0 overall and 2-3-0 in conference competition after the defeat.
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