In an important game last Saturday the women’s soccer team defeated UW-Whitewater 6-1.

Before Saturday’s game, the teams’ biggest win was its 4-0 defeat of UW-Platteville two weeks ago. In the past 10 games the Blugolds have played, the team has scored just 15 goals.

The game was an improvement for the team over its previous matchup, a loss to third-ranked UW-Stevens Point Wednesday. Stevens Point won that game 1-0 in overtime – the first overtime game for the Pointers in conference play since 1996.

The Blugolds have not beaten Stevens Point since 1991.

Senior forward Erika Thompson felt the game against the Pointers was a game that Eau Claire could have won.

“It was one of those games we wanted to win,” she said. “We went into the game knowing we could come out with a win,”

The victory on Saturday gave the Blugolds a season record of 6-3-2. It bumped the team up to the .500 mark in conference play at 2-2-1.

The six goals were the most the Blugolds ever scored against Whitewater, against whom the Blugolds lead the all-time series 12-1.

The Blugolds had 27 shots against Whitewater, while the Warhawks had only six. Eau Claire freshman goalie Megan Brady had five saves for the Blugolds.

Freshman Kris Unterweger scored two goals and had one assist in the first half against Whitewater.

The Blugolds had three goals in each half of the game. Thompson scored one goal, along with sophomore Sarah Bahlmann. Senior Tina Welle had two goals for the team as well.

Eau Claire coach Sean Yengo said that the team’s goals for the Whitewater game were more than just winning the game.

“We wanted to not just win the game, but play real good soccer,” he said. “We accomplished that task. It was one of our best games as a group.”

The fact that the Blugolds had four different goal-scorers may be attributed to the team’s practicing regimen.

“We were practicing real hard to come together as a team,” junior Emily Peterson said. “Practices have been real competitive.”

Thompson said that the team is looking to make a push to finish the season strong.

“We have stepped up … to get better results,” she said. “We are hoping that we can pretty much finish out the season with a good note.”

The Blugolds hope that the momentum from the win over Whitewater will carry over to the rest of the season.

“The next few games are conference games,” Peterson said. “We have to win them all. I’m really looking forward to the (conference) championship. We have a good chance at winning it.”

Yengo shares this hope.

“There are five games left,” Yengo said, “and we’re expecting to win them all.”