Posted: Dec 09, 2012
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (Blugolds.com) — The UW-Eau Claire women's hockey team has quietly started a winning streak, after their victory over Marian (Wis.) Saturday evening gave them their third straight win.
Playing the Sabres (3-6-2, 2-4-2 NCHA) again in the final game before the holiday break, the Blugolds (5-5-2, 5-3-2 NCHA) improved their streak to four-straight with a 4-1 win.
Amanda Kane (So.-Maplewood, Minn./North St. Paul) scored her second goal of the season in as many nights on an assist from Katie Ward (Sr.-Andover, Minn./Coon Rapids) to start the scoring at 13:03 of the first period.
Exactly five minutes later, Nikki Kothenbeutel (Jr.-Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) gave the Blugolds a 2-0 lead. After that, the game was scoreless until the third period when the Blugolds extended their lead.
Emily Larson (Jr.-Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) scored at 5:23 of the third period to give the Blugolds some insurance. But Marian was able to get on the board at 17:09 to cut the lead to 3-1.
It was too little, too late though, as Larson netted her second goal of the game on an empty-netter to send the Blugolds to the series victory.
Kim Van Brunt (Fr.-Eagle River, Wis./Northland Pines) was in net for the second straight game and made 16 saves on 17 shots to pick up her second win of the season.
The Blugolds outshot the Sabres 35-17 and both teams were held scoreless on the power-play.
The Blugolds are off now until Jan. 4 when they take on St. Mary's on the road at 7 p.m. They will return home the following afternoon for a 3 p.m. start against St. Mary's.
-JM-
