By Nick Hoven, UWEC Sports Information
ASHLAND, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team was back to Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play on Friday night as they traveled to Ashland, Wis. to face the Northland College Lumberjacks. After scoring the game's first two goals, the Blugolds would hold on to their lead and earn a 3-2 victory.
Coming into the game, the Blugolds were 11-0-0 when leading after 40 minutes of play, and they followed that model Friday night.
Jack Murphy (Jr. – Prior Lake, MN) would get the game's first tally just before the period's halfway mark to give Eau Claire the 1-0 lead. Tyler Tomberlin (Sr. – Andover, MN) and Matt Stanton (Fr. – Stillwater, MN) would both receive credit for assists on the opening goal.
In the second period, the physicality would begin to build as both teams would see an uptick in penalties called. Despite being on the wrong end of those calls, the Blugolds would capitalize once while being short-handed to increase their lead. Derek Hammer (So. – Woodbury, MN/East Ridge) would get a pass from the defensemen and bury the puck top-shelf to give Eau Claire the 2-0 lead.
The Lumberjacks would answer just a few minutes later, on the powerplay, to cut the deficit to 2-1.
It was early in the third period that the Blugolds sealed the game as Jarrad Vroman (So. – Lincoln Park, MI/St. Francis Cabrini) would score just 2:13 in and make it too big of a lead for Northland.
Goaltender Zach Dyment (Jr. – Abbotsford, BC/Yale Secondary) would stop 25 of the 27 shots he faced and is now 14-2-2 on the year.
The two teams will face off again on Saturday at 3PM.
Follow the Blugolds all season long on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app from your mobile device.
