EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The UW-Eau Claire men's hockey team continues to win its home opening weekend as it defeated Hamline University 5-3 at Hobbs Ice Center Saturday night.
Hamline got the first goal, a power play goal, on the board twenty seconds after Andrew Wilcox (Sr.-Rochester Minn./Century) was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Blugolds rallied back and got to full strength, but Eric Mclintock (So.-Traverse City, Mich./Central) was called for boarding to drop the Blugolds down to five men on the ice. Shorthanded, Devin Mantha (Jr.-Sturgeon Falls, Ont./Ann Arbor Pioneer) came up big with a goal on a pass from Jon Waggoner (So.-Fairbanks, Alas./Lathrop) and David Donnellan (So.-Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) to tie the game up with 16:24 on the clock.
In the second period, the Blugolds saw its offense come alive. Jordan Singer (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) started the offensive run on a pass from Tyler Romasco (Sr.-Perry, Ohio/Perry)and Andrew Wilcox. The trio did it again four minutes later, this time Andrew Wilcox got the goal, his first of the season on a deflected shot from Singer. Kurt Weston (Jr.-Roseau, Minn./Roseau) then topped it off with a goal at 13:46 to bring the Blugolds ahead 4-1.
The Blugolds came out and started the third period with a strong lead, but the Pipers were not ready to hand the game over to them. Less than two minutes into the third quarter, Hamline's Jordan VanGilder found the back of the net to bring the Pipers within two. On a power play opportunity, VanGilder again was able to get the puck in the goal and narrow the Blugolds lead to one. Singer was not having it and 20 seconds after VanGilder's goal he shot one in and scored for the Blugolds.
Andrew Martin (Fr.-Stoughton, Wis./Stoughton) got his second win of the season getting 21 saves on the night as the Blugolds outshot the Pipers 33-24.
The Blugolds will be hosting NCHA conference foe, the St. Scholastica Saints next Friday night. The puck is set to drop at 7 p.m. at the Hobbs Ice Center.
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