Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's soccer team has secured its first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) title with a 2-0 victory over UW-River Falls. The match took place on Saturday night at Ramer Field, marking a historic achievement for the seventh-ranked Blugolds. This season was the first time since 2014 that the WIAC sponsored men's soccer.

To clinch the championship, UW-Eau Claire needed a win on Saturday night, which they achieved with two first-half goals. They topped the league standings with 13 points, narrowly ahead of second-place UW-Platteville. The Blugolds ended their conference games with an unbeaten record of 4-0-1.

Carson Kowalski's goal in the 30th minute was pivotal, as he curled a direct free kick into the top right corner to give his team a 1-0 lead. Nathan Donovan extended the lead by scoring from the penalty spot in the 45th minute.

Goalkeepers Charlie Mroz and Mark Belknap collaborated to secure a shutout for UW-Eau Claire. Mroz contributed three saves during the game. The Blugolds dominated possession and offensive play, outshooting UW-River Falls 39-7 and holding a significant advantage in shots on target at 16-3. Additionally, they had eight corner kicks compared to two by their opponents.

Looking ahead, UW-Eau Claire will be hosting matches in their pursuit of an NCAA Tournament berth as they enter as the No. 1 seed for the WIAC Tournament presented by Culver's. With a bye in the first round, they are set to host a semifinal match against the lowest remaining seed on Friday, November 8 at Simpson Field.

The Blugolds will benefit from home field advantage throughout the conference tournament due to their top seeding position.

For ongoing updates about UW-Eau Claire's season, fans can follow along on Blugolds.com or through social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.