By Anna Sveiven, UWEC Sports Information
ST. PETER, Minn. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire woman's hockey team returned from break to start the second half of the Blugolds season with a 3-1 loss against Gustavus Adolphus at Don Roberts Ice Rink.
Eau Claire would start the first game of 2019 with chances to score on the Gustavus goalie. But it remained scoreless for most of the first period. Starting her first game in net, Anna Veazey (Jr-Rapid City, SD/Dakota Ridge), would keep the Blugolds in the game. With 9 minutes to go the Gusties find the back of the net first, giving the Golden Gusties the 1-0 lead going in to the second period.
The Blugolds came out in the second period on the attack, doubling their shots and their chances to score. Veazey continued to make big saves to keep Eau Claire in the game. The Blugolds would successfully kill off a 5 vs. 3 penalty kill. Eau Claire stayed strong throughout the period keeping Gustavus off the board.
The third period saw much more offense as the Gusties would score 5 minutes in to the final frame. Eau Claire would fight back and at 15:54 Emma Peterson (So-Superior, WI/Superior) would finally find the net for the Blugolds scoring a power play goal for Eau Claire closing Gustavus's lead to 2-1.
However, the Gusties would tally an empty-net goal to tally a 3-1 win.
Veazey would save 13 of the 15 shots she faced in net and the Blugolds would outshoot the Gusties 37 to 16 but was still not enough to take down Gustavus Adolphus.
The Blugolds (8-3-2) return to Hobbs Ice Arena to face off against St. Olaf (Minn.) on Tuesday, January 8th for the first home game of 2019. Continue to follow the action on Blugold Game Day or on the app 'UWEC Blugolds'.