EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) - The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire winter sport teams have released their schedules for the 2021-22 season.
2021-22 Winter Schedules:
Men's Basketball | Women's Basketball | Men's Hockey | Women's Hockey
Gymnastics | Wrestling | Men's Swimming & Diving | Women's Swimming & Diving
Men's Indoor Track & Field | Women's Indoor Track & Field
All the Blugold winter sports teams had shortened conference only schedules due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAA cancelled all winter Division III Championships for the 2020-21 seasons.
The men's basketball team will look to get back to the NCAA Championship Tournament after making a run in the 2019-20 season. With a first-round win, it was the squad's first time competing in the tournament since 2001. With last year's shortened schedule, the Blugolds will start their season on the road competing in the Bill Sudeck Tip Off in Cleveland, OH. Head Coach Matt Siverling is excited about the upcoming season saying, "We look forward to competing against a full schedule nonconference and conference opponents again this season." The team will tip off for the first time in Zorn in over a year on Tuesday, November 23rd when they host St. Norbert at 7 PM. Coach Siverling said "We are especially excited about the opportunity to get back and play in front of Blugold fans in Zorn Arena." The first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) game will be a rematch of the 2019-20 WIAC Championship finals as UWEC travels to UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday, December 1st. Their first WIAC home contest is against last year's WIAC Champion, UW-Platteville on Wednesday, January 5th at 7 PM.
The women's basketball team have their eyes set on another competitive and strong schedule after last year's 1st place regular season finish in the west WIAC division. "We are extremely excited to build upon the momentum we established last season as we attack another challenging non-conference schedule that will ready us for the WIAC season. This year's schedule includes nine teams that participated in the 2020 NCAA tournament. We are especially thrilled to return to Zorn arena and to have the opportunity to play in front of our friends and families again.", stated Head Coach Tonja Englund. The Blugolds start the year at home when they host their annual Tip-Off Tournament on November 12th and 13th. The first WIAC contest will be played at home on Wednesday, December 1st when they host last year's WIAC Champions, UW-Oshkosh.
The men's hockey team turn their attention to a full schedule after last year's semifinal Commissioner's Cups exit. The Blugolds will begin their season on the road in Duluth, MN as they take on Saint John's on Saturday, October 30th. The first home weekend games at Hobbs Municipal Ice Center will be November 12th and 13th when UWEC hosts Gustavus Adolphus and Augsburg. WIAC competition begins the weekend after as they host UW-Superior on Friday and UW-Stout on Saturday.
The women's hockey team start their season with a three-game home stretch, beginning Friday, October 29th against Saint Benedict. The Blugolds finished as the #1 seed in the O'Brien Cup Tournament, but fell to WIAC Champions, UW-River Falls in game 3 of the cup finals. UWEC finished last year with a 9-3-1 record and only lost one conference game. The battle for the WIAC commence on Thursday, November 11th when they host Northland College.
The women's gymnastics team will perform at the McPhee Physical Education Center three times in 2022. With their home opener scheduled for Friday, January 7th, 2022, against Hamline, the Blugolds prepare for another close and competitive season within the WIAC and National Collegiate Gymnastics Association West Regional.
The Blugold wrestling teams made historic strides las t season, and they hope to keep that same energy going into the 2021-22 lineup. UWEC will host WIAC opponent, UW-Stevens Point, on Monday, November 1st to begin their year. The 8-Man Battles and Don Parker Open will both be back in Eau Claire after the shortened scheduled last year did not allow for contests outside of duals. After the WIAC Championships on February 12th, UW-Eau Claire will be the host site for the 2022 NCAA upper Midwest Regionals. Those contests will take place on February 25th and 26th.
The men's and women's swimming and diving squads are back in the pool starting in October. After both teams going 4-0 in their shortened seasons last year, the Blugold will kick things off at home against UW-Oshkosh on Saturday, October 16th at 1PM. In 2019 both teams were WIAC Championship runners-up and had dominant wins against WIAC and nonconference opponents.
The men's and women's indoor track & field teams hope to keep the momentum from the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships running into the indoor season. The Blugolds' quest for national success starts with the UW-Stevens Point Triangular and the Warren Bowlus events in January. With the WIAC Championships being held on the last weekend of February, UWEC will have a quick turnaround with the NCAA Division III National Indoor Championships set for March 11th and 12th.
Follow all the Blugold winter sports all season long at Blugold Gameday.
