RIVER FALLS, Wis. — UW-Eau Claire and UW-River Falls played to a 0-0 tie on Friday afternoon. The Blugolds generated late pressure, recording seven shots and two corner kicks from 78:08 to 87:38 of the second half while the score remained 0-0. The Blugolds finished with a 26-14 advantage in shots and put four on goal, and their goalkeeper was credited with five saves as both teams completed 90 minutes scoreless.
UWEC created most of the first-half chances, finishing the half with 12 shots and five corner kicks, but went into halftime scoreless with the Falcons. The Blugolds opened with a corner in the second minute and a
Tate McDermott shot in the seventh, then earned three corners in less than a minute at 14:06, 14:40 and 14:58 before
Noah Malcook,
Ramzi Ouro and
Kyron Pope added shots during the same attacking stretch.
Charlie Mroz kept the Falcons off the board with saves on shots in the 22nd and 24th minutes. UW-Eau Claire pressed again from the 25th through 34th minutes with six shots and another corner, including back-to-back
Brady Stamp attempts and a shot on goal saved by Greyson Shiek, before adding late shots from
Aiden Judickas and
Elijah Post in a 0-0 first half.
The Blugolds made their biggest second-half push late, generating seven shots and three corner kicks from the 78th minute through the 90th while the match remained 0-0. Earlier, the Falcons put several looks toward goal after halftime, but Mroz saved shots in the 63rd, 72nd and 76th minutes to keep the Blugolds level. The visitors answered with a stretch of seven shots from 56:53 to 65:46, including three attempts by Malcook and saved shots by Malcook and Pope.
Owen Backus added three attacking actions in the closing minutes, including a saved shot at 87:38, and the Blugolds earned corner kicks at 86:24, 87:00 and 89:15 before the half ended with the match final at 0-0.
Mroz recorded five saves over 90 minutes and finished without allowing a goal. Malcook led the Blugolds with seven shots, including two on goal. McDermott added four shots for the attack.
The Blugolds move to 5-2-3 overall and 0-0-1 in conference play. The Falcons are 4-4-3 overall and 0-0-1 in conference play.
Up next, the Blugolds host Augsburg University on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. at Simpson Field in Eau Claire, Wis.
