DULUTH, Minn. (Blugolds.com) - Notching the Blugolds' second hat-trick of the season, Jordan Singer (So.-Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) led the UW-Eau Claire men's hockey team on a dramatic 5-3 rally over the College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) tonight at Mars Lakeview Arena.
After the first nine minutes of play, the Blugolds already faced a challenging two-goal deficit. The Saints stuck first at the 7:21 mark and again just a minute later, testing Eau Claire's resilience. Tyler Jundt (Jr.-Williston, N.D.) countered St. Scholastica's scores with Eau Claire's first goal 12:13 into the period, but the Saints snuck in another goal with less than two minutes on the clock to keep the Blugolds two goals behind.
But momentum shifted in the second period. The Blugold defense completely halted the surging St. Scholastica offense and Eau Claire charged ahead, erasing its early deficit. Andrew McCabe (So.-Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) notched his first goal of the season at 8:33 and Singer tallied two goals at the 2:33 and 15:02 marks, pushing the Blugolds out front for the first time.
With the lead secured, the Blugolds maintained the advantage throughout the third period. Singer eluded the St. Scholastica guard again in the final two minutes and recorded his third goal of the night. He notched the hat-trick and the Blugolds coasted to the 5-3 victory.
The Blugolds outshot St. Scholastica 36-28 en route to the win. Scott Pederson (Jr.-Lake Villa, Ill./Grayslake) earned the victory by tending the Eau Claire goal for the all three periods. He made 25 saves on the night, including all 16 of the Saints' attempts in the third period. Also, Singer scored a season-high five points in a single game by recording three goals and two assists tonight.
The win draws the Blugolds closer to an even record in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association, as Eau Claire is now 11-7 overall, 5-6 in the conference. St. Scholastica drops to 3-8 in the NCHA.
The Blugolds will attempt the sweep of the Saints when they face St. Scholastica again at 7 p.m. tomorrow night.
