UW-Eau Claire women’s hockey faced UW-River Falls on Saturday, Feb. 7 at Hunt Arena. UW- River Falls women’s hockey is currently ranked No. 1, so the Blugolds knew they were in for a tough matchup.
Prior to the matchup, the Blugolds’ record stood at 16-5-0, with UW-River Falls standing at 19-1-0. The Blugolds had five consecutive wins.
Last time the Blugolds played UW-River-Falls, they secured a 3-0 lead over the Falcons.
Jarrad Vroman is the head coach of UW-Eau Claire’s women’s hockey team.
“The first game we played against them, we beat them 3-0,” Vroman said. “That doesn’t just happen, we put in the work and play.”
Throughout the first period, UW-Eau Claire took an early lead. Third-year Madisyn Krumholz scored at 16:04 with assists by first-year Josie Grossman and fourth-year Rachel Mirwald.
At 0:25, third-year Ava Johansson was able to maintain the lead by securing a goal, assisted by third-year Kenzie Keller and first-year Harper Poehling.
While UW-River Falls attempted to press offensively, they were unable to garner any points. The first period ended with a 2-0 lead for the Blugolds.
The start of the second period led to the Blugolds extending their lead with a goal from third-year Maddie Hulter, assisted by second-year Adrienne Hansen and third-year Kylie Wiltse at 12:49.
However, the game momentum started to switch when UW-River Falls’ MaKenna Aure scored an unassisted goal.
The Falcons continued the pressure on the Blugolds by striking again at 4:21. UW-River Falls player Alexis Niccum tied the game at 2:35, and Megan Goodreau netted the final goal at 1:24, resulting in a 4-3 loss for the Blugolds.
Going into the third period, UW-River Falls’ lead was extended with a goal at 12:56. Despite the Blugolds’ best efforts, they were unable to secure another point.
Both fourth-year Ava Bullert’s and fourth-year Keira Bolt’s shots were blocked, causing UW-River Falls to maintain a defensive stance.
“We were able to get back into the game in the third period,” third-year Gretta Pioske said.
With 1:34 remaining, the Blugolds pulled their goalie, but the strategy was not successful.
The game concluded with a 5-3 victory for UW-River Falls. However, each player found a lot of success. Krumholz scored a goal on three shots, and Hutler gained a point for the team with her only shot in the game. Wiltse secured an assist and managed seven blocked shots.
UW-Eau Claire’s record stands at 16-6-0 overall and 8-1-0 in conference play. UW-River Falls improves to 20-1-0 overall and 8-1-0 in conference play.
For this season, nine new first-year athletes have joined the team of 30 girls.
“Overall this season, we have grown a lot in team chemistry and found our groove,” Pioske said. “We try to bring out the best in each other.”
All three of the Blugolds’ upcoming matchups are WIAC conference games, which raises the competitive pressure.
“Something our team is going to work on is maintaining our composure,” Vroman said. “February [and] March hockey features all big games, and we had a great start with this high-stakes matchup.”
At 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13, the team will play at Hobbs Ice Arena in Eau Claire for a game against Beloit College.
Hinz can be reached at [email protected].
