EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The 14th-ranked UW-Eau Claire men's hockey team returned home and used their power play to defeat UW-Superior 4-1 here tonight at Hobbs Ice Center.
The Blugolds improve to 5-3-2 overall and 1-1-0 in the WIAC while the Yellowjackets fall to 5-6-0 overall and 0-2-0 in the WIAC. Eau Claire is 9-0-3 in their last 12 meeting with Superior dating back to a 3-0 victory on February 21, 2011. It is the most consecutive games without a loss the Blugolds have ever had against the Yellowjackets. The previous best mark against the Yellowjackets was when the Blugolds won eight straight games from December 13, 1988 through February 11, 1990.
It did not take the Blugolds long to capitalize on a Yellowjacket penalty when Jeff Pauluk (Jr.-Bloomington, MN/Jefferson) scored a power play goal at 3:30 of the first period assisted by Brandon Wahlin (So.-White Bear Lake, MN) and Patrick Moore (So.-Grand Rapids, MN). It was Pauluk's first goal of the season.
After the Yellowjackets tied the game at 6:52 of the first period Todd Koritzinsky (Fr.-Verona, WI/Middleton) scored his first power play goal of the season at 18:59 of the first period assisted by Jack Callahan (Sr.-Red Bank, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) and Ethan Nauman (Jr.-Mosinee, WI) giving the Blugold a 2-1 lead.
In the second period Nauman extended the Blugold lead to 3-1 scoring his team-leading seventh goal of the season at 9:59 of the second period assisted by Wahlin and Moore. It was the third assist on the evening for Moore, who has a team-leading nine assists for the season.
With an empty net the last 1:15 of the third period Mac Jansen (Fr.-White Bear Lake, MN) scored an empty net goal with just one second remaining in regulation assisted by Moore and T.J. Stuntz (Fr.-Austin, TX/Round Rock).
Jay Deo (So.-Langley, BC) had an excellent game between the pipes, saving 39 of 40 shots faced. His season record now stands at 2-2-1.
The Blugolds will continue their four-game home stand when they welcome the Milwaukee School of Engineering to Hobbs Ice Center on Friday, December 12. Face-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
-KCM-
