By Nick Hoven, UWEC Sports Information
ASHLAND, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The #14 ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team took to the road for the first time this season as they took on the Northland College Lumberjacks. Despite being down early and Northland tying the game halfway through the 3rd period, the Blugolds would finish strong with just mere minutes left in a 3-2 win.
In the first period, the Blugolds would find themselves behind halfway through even though they controlled the attacking zone in majority. Almost immediately after giving up the first goal, Assistant Captain Lucas Kohls (Sr. – Forest Lake, MN) would score to tie the game up at one a piece. The Blugolds would never trail since that lead change and a goal by Scott Munro (Vancouver, BC/St. George's) less than a minute later gave Eau Claire a one goal advantage. Jon Richards and Andrew McGlynn (St. Louis, MO/Christian Brothers College) would get credit for assists on the first goal, and Jack Murphy (So. – Prior Lake, MN) and Braden Brown (So. – Plano, TX/South Lyon) would earn assists and their first points on the season as well. With that assist, and the two goals, McGlynn, Munro, and Kohls all cement themselves at the front of the team in points with each contributing to the scoresheet in the first three games.
The second period was tough defensively as both sides would have to face multiple player disadvantages due to penalties. It would be Eau Claire's aggressive offense and solid defense to bring home a game total of 37 shots while only allowing 13 for the Lumberjacks.
While on the penalty kill for the seventh time in the game, the Blugolds would find themselves tied once again with Northland as the Lumberjacks would score for the second time on the powerplay that night. That would only be the second and third time Eau Claire would give up a goal while disadvantaged.
With the end in sight, and a crowd hoping for overtime, Kyle Froese (Sr. – Traverse City, MI) would seal it for the Blugolds as the University of Alaska-Fairbanks transfer scored his first goal in a Blugold sweater and would lift Eau Claire over the Lumberjacks and help the team remain undefeated.
Zach Dyment (So. – Abbotsford, BC/Yale Secondary) started his third consecutive game for the Blugolds and would go on to save 11 of 13 shots and improve his record to 3-0-0.
The Blugolds will be back on the road for Nov. 2-3 as they make their way west in a couple games versus MIAC (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) opponents Bethel University and Hamline University. Game times are both scheduled for 7pm. Follow the action on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app on your mobile device.
