MADISON, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire had two student-athletes receive WIAC Kwik Trip Athlete of the Week honors on Tuesday. Men's hockey player Max Gutjahr (Fr. - Appleton, Wis./Kimberly) and women's basketball player Jessie Ruden (Sr. - Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) were both recognized.
WIAC Men's Hockey Release | WIAC Women's Basketball Release
Gutjahr, a goalie, helped the Blugolds sweep a series against No. 2-ranked St. Norbert College (Wis.) Nov. 25-26. He made 21 saves and helped kill a penalty as UW-Eau Claire won the series opener 3-2. In the following game, Gutjahr stopped 25 shots and staved off three Green Knights power plays in a 4-2 victory. With the sweep, UW-Eau Claire became the first team to beat St. Norbert this season. The two wins snapped the Blugolds' seven-game losing streak against the Green Knights, which dated back to the 2013-14 season.
Ruden, a guard, hit a career milestone in a 78-56 victory over St. Norbert College (Wis.) on Nov. 22, surpassing 1,000 career points by pouring in 26 against the Green Knights. She knocked down six three-pointers in the win. She also had five rebounds, three assists and three steals. In a Nov. 25 matchup with Northland College (Wis.), Ruden scored 18 points and tallied two rebounds and one assist in only 17 minutes, 30 seconds of action. Ruden averaged 24 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest across both games. She shot 10 of 16 against St. Norbert and 7 of 10 against Northland to finish the week with a 65.4 shooting percentage. She went 8 of 13 from three-point range for a 61.5 percent clip from beyond the arc.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at Blugold Game Day or on our app, UWEC Blugolds.
