The official student newspaper of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire since 1923.

The Spectator

The official student newspaper of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire since 1923.

The Spectator

The official student newspaper of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire since 1923.

The Spectator

    Men’s hockey falls to two nationally ranked teams over weekend

    The Camaraderie, a well-known and popular bar and restaurant on Water Street, was almost completely destroyed by a fire that swept through the building on the morning of Jan. 7.

    The UW-Eau Claire men’s hockey team lost both of its games this weekend, as it faced UW-Stevens Point at home and St. Norbert’s on the road.

    Junior forward Kurt Weston said it was especially rough to lose on both days because, while the team had been previously tied in fourth place with UW-Stevens Point in the conference rankings, the Pointers will now slip ahead of the Blugolds.

    However, Weston said he thought his team put up a good fight.

    “We had our moments where we played really well, then we had a downfall both days,” Weston said. “It was a roller coaster of a weekend to go up and down like that.”

    Story continues below advertisement

    On Friday’s game at home, the Blugolds fell 5-2 to UW-Stevens Point after the Pointers scored three goals in the third period.

    The Blugolds started out the first period out-shooting the Pointers, but ultimately, the Pointers scored the first goal of the evening.

    The Blugolds and Pointers had a relatively even battle through the second period, with the Pointers scoring another goal at 5:15. Eau Claire followed up with a pair of goals scored by sophomore forward Brian Nehring and junior forward Jordan Singer before the second period was over, tying up the game 2-2.

    Over the course of the game, junior goalie Brandon Stephenson made 32 saves.

    But in the third, the Pointers netted three goals, the last of which was on an empty net.

    Coach Matt Loen said he didn’t know what the reason was behind the team’s losses.

    “I’m kind of frustrated,” Loen said. “We didn’t play that bad, but we just didn’t win. The other teams capitalized on some of our mistakes. That was the difference this weekend.”

    On Saturday night, the men were on the road and faced St. Norbert’s in De Pere, Wis., where they ultimately lost 5-4.

    The Green Knights took the first goal of the evening relatively quickly at 1:34 in the first period. The Blugolds fought back, and Weston scored an unassisted goal at 13:28. The Green Knights scored a second goal before the period was over, putting St. Norbert’s ahead 2-1.

    The Blugolds kept a steady pace with the Green Knights and dominated the ice during the second period, scoring three goals.

    Weston said that, for him, this was the highlight of the weekend.

    “We totally controlled them in the second on Saturday, and they’re one of the top teams in our conference,” he said. “I mean, that was pretty amazing.”

    In the third, however, the Knights took back the game, racking up two more goals.

    The losses came at a rough time for the Blugolds, Stephenson said.

    “I’m pretty disappointed,” he said. “Going into it, it was our biggest week so far … It also puts us in a hole where we won’t have home-ice advantage for the playoff game.”

    Despite having less of a chance at home-ice advantage during playoffs, Loen said that he doesn’t think that will harm the Blugolds’ performance.

    “That doesn’t mean that a win’s out of reach by any means,” Loen said. “It’d be nice to be at home, but I think we’ll still be able to win on the road.”

    Next weekend, the Blugolds will face UW-River Falls on the road and UW-Stout at home.

    Leave a Comment
    More to Discover

    Comments (0)

    The Spectator intends for this area to be used to foster healthy, thought-provoking discussion. Comments are expected to adhere to our standards and to be respectful and constructive. As such, we do not permit the use of profanity, foul language, personal attacks or the use of language that might be interpreted as libelous. The Spectator does not allow anonymous comments and requires a valid email address. The email address will not be displayed but will be used to confirm your comments.
    All The Spectator Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Activate Search
    Men’s hockey falls to two nationally ranked teams over weekend