EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's hockey team began their quest for the O'Brien Cup on Friday afternoon with game 1 of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship tournament. The Blugolds faced off with UW-Stevens Point and dominated the offensive zone to earn a 2-0 victory.
A scoreless first period was complemented by the high flying offense of the Blugolds as they outshot the Pointers 14-3 in the first 20 minutes of play. Samantha Bandholz (So. – Richfield, Wis./Slinger) and Sophie Rausch (Sr. – Fergus Falls, Minn.) held game highs of five shots on goal each during the game. Bandholz won 17 of the 19 faceoffs she took to help Eau Claire keep possession for a majority of the game. Despite no goals in the first frame, UWEC couldn't be held back as the game continued.
Ava Bullert (Fr. – North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) found the game's first tally in the opening ten seconds of the second period on a rebound off a shot from Samantha Bandholz. Bullert's second goal of the year opened the door for the Eau Claire offense to continue their pressure in the middle frame. UWEC outshot UWSP 16-4 in the second period to keep the Pointer goalie busy all afternoon. Only three penalties on the day occurred during the second, but neither team's special teams units found success during their play.
The third period held a similar narrative to the first two as the Blugolds once again outshot the Pointers. Both sides found their scoring chances in front, but the defenses held strong until the final minute. Sophie Rausch netted her 32nd goal of the year after Stevens Point pulled their netminder to seal the 2-0 win.
Josie Mathison (Jr. – Tomah, Wis.) stopped all nine of the shots she faced to earn her first WIAC playoff win and shutout of her career. Mathison improves to
The Blugolds (21-3-2, WIAC 11-1-1) will host UW-Stevens Point for game 2 of the WIAC Championship semifinal on Saturday, February 25th at Hobbs Ice Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 2PM.
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