STEVENS POINT, Wis. (blugolds.com) – The No. 14 ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team began their final weekend of play before winter break on Friday evening. The Blugolds hit the road for the first game of a weekend series against No. 15 ranked UW-Stevens Point. An opening period goal by UW-Eau Claire was answered by six UWSP goals as the Blugolds fell 6-2.
UW-Eau Claire set the tone early in the ranked Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) matchup as Tyler Love (Pittsburgh, Pa./Moon Area) found the back of the net in the first four minutes of the game. Love's shot from just inside the blue line beat the Pointer goalie up high to give Eau Claire a 1-0 lead. Sammy Martel (Jr. – Bolingbrook, Ill./Neuqua Valley) earned the lone assist on the opening goal.
The UWEC lead was held until the second period when Stevens Point netted three goals to put the Blugolds at a two-goal deficit. The Eau Claire penalty kill kept their pace during the contest as they kept the Pointer power play to zero goals on four separate attempts.
In the third, the Pointers extended their lead to 6-1 with three more tallies in eight minutes of play. Ryan Green (Jr. – Muskego, Wis.) Ryan Green (Jr. – Muskego, Wis.) scored the lone powerplay of the evening with less than seven minutes remaining in the contest for Eau Claire's second goal of the evening as UWEC fell, 6-2.
Max Gutjahr (Fr. – Appleton, Wis./Kimberly) stopped 30 of the 36 shots he faced in his fourth loss of the year. Gutjahr is now 7-4-0 on the year.
The Blugolds (7-3-0 WIAC 3-1-0) will head back to Eau Claire for game two of the weekend series on Saturday, December 10th at Hobbs Ice Arena. The Blugolds and Pointers are set to face off at 7PM.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at Blugold Game Day or on our app, UWEC Blugolds.
