ST. PAUL, Minn. — UW-Eau Claire defeated Macalester 3-1 on Wednesday at John Leaney Field at Macalester Stadium. After a scoreless first half, the Blugolds scored all three of their goals in the second half. UW-Eau Claire finished with a 10-7 advantage in shots and put eight shots on goal while allowing three.
The Blugolds spent much of the first half pressing for the opening goal, earning six corner kicks and putting five shots on goal while the Scots kept the match scoreless.
Bella Jones handled the first Scots chance, saving Charlotte Martel's shot in the 13th minute, and UW-Eau Claire answered with back-to-back corners at 13:13 and 13:44 before
Emma Donovan forced a save from Abigail Heuga.
Abby Nordquist put another shot on frame in the 21st minute, and the Blugolds later built sustained pressure from 27:14 to 42:13 with four corners and shots by
Neave Rewa,
Ellie Moilanen and
Megan Dwyer. That late stretch included three corners after 35:03 and multiple saved attempts, but the first half ended without a goal.
UW-Eau Claire broke open a scoreless match early in the second half, with
Olivia Lukrafka Varassin scoring at 49:25 off assists from
Mikalyn Hidde and
Anna Lorenzana. Donovan added another goal at 52:52 from Hidde, and Lukrafka Varassin scored again at 60:53 with an assist from
Abby Beal after the Blugolds had generated a shot and a corner in the preceding sequence. The Scots got on the board at 65:48 through Adi Nhouyvanisvong and later put a shot off the woodwork before Jones saved Nhouyvanisvong's attempt at 77:33. UW-Eau Claire also earned second-half corners at 69:54 and 78:03, and Lorenzana sent a late shot high as the Blugolds closed out a 3-1 final.
Lukrafka Varassin scored twice on two shots, putting both attempts on goal. Donovan added the game-winning goal and finished with two shots on goal. Hidde recorded two assists to lead the Blugolds in that category. Jones played all 90 minutes in goal and made two saves while allowing one goal.
UW-Eau Claire advances to 4-2-1 overall while the Scots fall to 3-4-0 overall.
Up next, the Blugolds host University of Dubuque on Friday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m. at Simpson Field in Eau Claire, Wis.
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