Justin Dade – Sports Information
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The No. 13 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team returned to their winning ways on Saturday night at Hobbs Ice Arena in a dominant win over the Concordia-Moorhead Cobbers (Minn.) 5-1.
After three straight overtime games, the Blugolds left little doubt of who had the upper hand in this one thanks to a strong first period showing.
The Blugolds dominated in a first period that began with a 13-0 shots on goal advantage for UW-Eau Claire while the Cobbers failed to record a shot for the first 11 minutes of the period.
UW-Eau Claire struck first on a beautiful pass behind the net from Todd Koritzinsky (Jr. – Verona, WI) to Mac Jansen (Jr. – White Bear Lake, MN) who buried it glove side less than five minutes into the game. Koritzinsky and Patrick Moore (Sr. – Grand Rapids, MN) were credited with the assists on Jansen's fifth goal of the year.
Jesse Tredinnick (Jr. – Onalaska, WI) recovered his own rebound in front of the net and put one past Cobbers' goalie Sam Nelson to give the Blugolds the 2-0 lead less than four minutes later. Moore picked up his second assist of the game along with Garret Clemment (Sr. - Wausau, WI) on the goal.
The Blugolds continued to pour it on just three minutes later on a goal from captain Jake Hopfner (Jr. – Eastpointe, MI) early in a power-play opportunity assisted by Koritzinsky and Lucas Kohls (Jr. – Forest Lake, MN) to make it 3-0 with 8:50 left to play in the first.
UW-Eau Claire tacked on yet another goal this time from Alex Strand (Fr. – Roseau, MN) scoring his first goal as a Blugold assisted by Colton Wolter (Jr. – Fairbanks, AK) and Scott Munro (Fr. – Vancouver, British Columbia) at the 5:18 mark.
The Blugolds took the 4-0 lead into the locker room with sizeable leads in both face-off wins and shots on goal.
After a fast start in the first frame, pace of play slowed down in the second period as both teams totaled just nine shots on goal in a scoreless period of play.
The Blugolds led in shots on goal 23-11 after two periods.
The third was period was more of the same until the Blugolds got a goal on a terrific deflection in front of the net by Koritzinsky who earned his third point of the night assisted by RJ Majkozak (Jr. – White Bear Lake, MN) and Janesn to make it 5-0 with 6:46 left in the game.
The Cobbers spoiled goaltender Jay Deo's (Sr. – Langley, British Columbia) first shut out of the season as Jordan Christianson scored on the power play to cut in the Blugolds' lead late in the period.
UW-Eau Claire would go on to win with the score of 5-1 in a much needed dominant win outshooting the Cobbers 35-16.
Deo (Sr. - Langley, British Columbia) saved 15 of the 16 shots he faced in the win to improve to 3-1-2 on the season.
The Blugolds (3-1-2) will look to use this win as momentum as they head deeper into the young season. UW-Eau Claire will be on the road next weekend for games with Concordia (Wis.) and Lake Forest (Ill.) The puck will drop at 7 p.m. both nights.
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