EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — UW-Eau Claire (15-5-2, 10-1-1) triumphed over UW-River Falls (11-10-1, 5-7-0) with a 4–3 victory in overtime. The Blugolds defense held strong, especially
Max Gutjahr, making 34 saves, while maintaining a faceoff advantage by winning 59% of draws.
The first period began with a faceoff win for UW-River Falls, but the Blugolds quickly seized momentum with early control of possession. Despite several power play opportunities for both sides, neither team capitalized until
Carson Strapon broke the deadlock at 5:57 with an even-strength goal for UWEC, assisted by
Max Ruoho and
Carter Green. The period featured multiple missed shots and saves, including key stops by Gutjahr for the Blugolds and Brennan Boynton for UW-River Falls, resulting in a 1-0 lead for the home team entering the first intermission.
The Blugolds extended their lead in the second period with a goal from
Leo Bacallao at 14:21, assisted by
Kade Peterson and
Carter Bradley, making it his ninth goal of the season. Despite multiple attempts by UW-River Falls to close the gap, including several saves by Gutjahr, it was Gavin Middendorf who finally broke through at 3:40, assisted by Cole Teleki and Max Collette, marking his 10th goal of the season. Both teams displayed strong defensive efforts, with numerous shots blocked and saved, resulting in a 2–1 score by the end of the period.
The Blugolds started the third period with a two-goal advantage, but the Falcons quickly gained momentum. Bacallao extended the lead to 3-1 at 12:43 with assistance from
Tyler Herzberg and Peterson. However, UW-River Falls responded on the power play when Ben Portner scored at 5:52, narrowing the gap to one. With only seven seconds left, Luke Margenau tied the game for the Falcons using an extra attacker, assisted by Keenan Ingram and Collette. The period ended in a 3-3 draw, capping a dramatic finish.
The overtime period commenced with UW-River Falls winning the opening faceoff. The Blugolds'
Logan Ganz attempted a shot at 1:42, but it was saved by Boynton. Following a faceoff won by UWEC's
Max Dronen, the home team capitalized on the opportunity. At 2:02,
Luke Lavery scored the game-winning goal in sudden death overtime, assisted by
Trey Gnetz and Dronen. This goal marked Lavery's seventh of the season and secured a 4–3 victory for the Blugolds.
Bacallao scored two goals and registered six shots on goal, contributing significantly to the team's offensive effort. Lavery netted the game-winning goal and maintained a perfect faceoff percentage, winning his single attempt. Peterson provided two assists, adding depth to the playmaking. Gutjahr finished with 34 saves, anchoring the defense against a persistent attack.
The Blugolds hold a 15-5-2 overall record and stand at 10-1-1 in conference play. UW-River Falls has an 11-10-1 overall record and a 5-7-0 conference record.
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