Posted at 7:20 p.m. 2/7/10

Playing against National Collegiate Hockey Association rival UW-Stevens Point, the UW-Eau Claire women’s hockey team took the first game but lost the second over the weekend at Hobbs Ice Arena.

Going into the series, both teams were close in the standings. Team captain and senior Beth Dittrich said the Blugolds play in a tough conference, but UW-Stevens Point is their biggest rival.

During Friday’s game, scoring didn’t occur until late in the first period as sophomore Taylor Jenkins made the first goal with assists coming from sophomore Jackie McKay and junior Kristin Faber.

The Blugolds ended the first with the upper hand and continued to dominate in the second period as they scored two power-play goals by Jenkins and McKay at the 7:52 and 11:17 minute marks. Jenkins, who has scored in three of the last four games, scored her second of the night with Dittrich and Faber assisting.

Late in the second the Pointers came up with two unanswered goals to end the period. But at the 14:28 minute mark in the third period, Faber scored with an assist from freshman Kate Loberg-Sonderup to bring the game to a 4-2 Blugold win.

“Friday was good, I felt like everybody showed up to play,” Dittrich said. “It was one of those games that stayed close and you didn’t have an opportunity to take a break.”

Coach Mike Collins said the team held their usual Saturday morning meetings to prepare for the next game. He said the team focused on the changes that needed to be made and on readying themselves for another competitive game against the Pointers that evening.

But Stevens Point maintained control of the puck throughout Saturday’s game and gained the first score within the first three minutes of play. The goal didn’t go unanswered though as freshman Allison Malecek scored late in the first period with an assist from McKay.

Stevens Point kept up the momentum by scoring two quick goals in the second, bringing the score to 3-1. Plagued with penalties, the Blugolds struggled to keep the puck out of their own territory.

With 1:11 left in the second period, Dittrich and senior Shannon Nelson assisted junior Christine Dickinson with a goal on a power play.

The Pointers made their presence known in the third by scoring three more unanswered goals to take the lead. The game ended with a score of 6-2. The loss puts the Blugolds at 10-8-3 on the season and 5-5-2 in NCHA play.

The Lady Blugolds will next play a pair of games against Finlandia University at home. The first event will be 7 p.m. on Feb. 12, during which the team will also celebrate “Senior Night.”