RIVER FALLS, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – Playing in the semifinals of the WIAC Championship, the UW-Eau Claire women's hockey team was unable to get by the fifth-ranked UW-River Falls Falcons as the Blugolds fell 6-1 at Hunt Arena today.
Eau Claire struck first as Tory Heller (So.-Cottage Grove, Minn./Hill-Murray) scored her third goal of the season at 5:16 in the opening period on the Blugolds' first shot of the game. Emily Larson (Sr.-Bemidji, Minn.) assisted on the goal.
But the Falcons didn't stay behind for long and scored their first goal just 41 seconds later. They added another goal at 11:34 in the first period and led 2-1 after the first period.
River Falls went on to score four more times, once in the second period and three times in the third period. Two of the goals in the final period came on power-plays.
The Falcons finished the game outshooting the Blugolds 46-8. Paige Turner (So.-Iron River, Wis./Duluth East) stopped 37 shots as she played 54:38 in-goal for the Blugolds. Kim Van Brunt (So.-Eagle River, Wis./Northland Pines) ended the game in the net and made three saves.
Senior captain Nikki Kothenbeutel (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) led the Blugolds with two shots while six others each had one.
Eau Claire finished the game 0-for-3 on power-plays while River Falls went 2-for-9.
The Blugolds end the season with a record of 4-21-2 while River Falls improves to 20-4-3 and advances to the WIAC Championship final, which will be contested in River Falls next Saturday.
-KM-