RIVER FALLS, Wis. (blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's hockey team competed in their seventh straight O'Brien Cup final on Saturday afternoon as they faced off with UW-River Falls in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship final. An early deficit in the first period was too much to overcome as the Blugolds fell on the road, 5-1.
A fast and physical first period gave everyone a true playoff atmosphere at Hunt Arena. Special teams play was a factor all day for Eau Claire as they were short-handed four times in the opening period. Despite keeping UWRF to zero powerplay goals, the Falcons scored twice in the first period to give UWEC a 2-0 deficit heading into the first intermission.
An early powerplay goal at the 1:23 mark of the second by the Falcons put Eau Claire down 3-0 at the beginning of the middle frame. Hattie Verstegen (Jr. – Oshkosh, Wis./North) and the Blugolds kept fighting as Verstegen led the team in shots all night with five of her own. In the third, Jordyn McAlpine (Sr. – Stillwater, Minn./Mahtomedi) found the first answer for Eau Claire on a tip out in front of the net to bring the score to 4-1 with just over 15 minutes left in the contest.
The Falcons added one more goal right after the halfway mark, giving Eau Claire their fourth loss of the year and runner-up status in the WIAC Championship.
Josie Mathison (Jr. – Tomah, Wis.) stopped 28 of the 33 shots in her second loss of the year. Mathison falls to 4-2-0 on the year.
The Blugolds (22-4-2, WIAC 11-1-1) will wait to see if they make the NCAA Division III Women's Hockey tournament with the selection show scheduled for Sunday, March 5th at 7:30pm CST. You can watch the selection show on ncaa.com.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at Blugold Game Day or on our app, UWEC Blugolds.
