RIVER FALLS, Wis. (blugolds.com) – The no. 9 ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's hockey team was back on the ice Saturday afternoon for their regular season finale against no. 1 ranked UW-River Falls. With the regular season title on the line, the Blugolds and Falcons played fast and physical as the teams skated to a 1-1 tie. UW-Eau Claire would fall in the shootout as they earned the second seed for the 2023 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament.
The Blugolds found a similar opening period to Friday's matchup as they sat back and played defense for a majority of the period as UWRF outshot UWEC 15-2 in the opening 20 minutes. Both teams successfully killed one penalty each as the game carried a sense of playoff competitiveness between the two ranked schools. An early River Falls goal at the 5:08 mark on a shot from the slot found its way through traffic and beat the Blugold netminder to put UWEC at a 1-0 deficit during the first intermission.
The second period was controlled by the Blugolds as they outshot the Falcons 8-6. Sophie Rausch (Sr. – Fergus Falls, Minn.) and Hattie Verstegen (Jr. – Oshkosh, Wis./North) led the Blugolds in shots during the afternoon showdown with a combined nine shots on goal. The Blugolds' powerplay stayed hot halfway through the middle frame as Rausch picked a top corner from the left side to even the score at 1-1. Hallie Sheridan (Sr. – Fergus Falls, Minn.) and Emily Hart (Sr. – Red Wing, Minn.) added helpers to Rausch's conference leading 31st goal. The Blugolds kept their pressure through the remainder of the second and third as they outshot the Falcons 6-5 in the final 20 minutes of play before the end of regulation.
In overtime, both sides found their chances as Eau Claire outshot River Falls 4-3. Neither goaltender gave in as the teams headed to a shootout to determine the regular season champion. A lone goal by UWRF's second shooter was the difference maker on the afternoon as the other five shooters were stopped by the goalies and Eau Claire ended with a second-place regular season finish.
Stephanie Martin (Sr. – Yorktown, Va./Tabb) stopped 28 of the 29 shots she faced in her 2nd tie of the season. Martin posted a 19-2-2 overall record during the regular season.
The Blugolds (20-3-2, WIAC 10-1-1) will gear up for the 2023 WIAC Tournament next week as they host UW-Stevens Point in the semifinals. The two-game series against Pointers is set to begin on Friday, February 24th with a 2PM puck drop at Hobbs Ice Arena.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at Blugold Game Day or on our app, UWEC Blugolds.
