Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team secured a victory against the 15th-ranked UW-Stevens Point with a 5-2 win at Hobbs Ice Arena. This result evens the season series between these two rivals in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC).

The match was tied at 2-2 as they entered the third period, but the Blugolds scored three unanswered goals to claim their second win over a ranked opponent this season.

Kade Peterson opened the scoring for UW-Eau Claire with a short-handed goal just over two minutes into the game. The Pointers responded with a power play goal, leading to a 1-1 score at the first intermission.

Kyler Grundy put UW-Eau Claire ahead with an unassisted goal midway through the second period. However, UW-Stevens Point quickly equalized, setting up a tense final period.

Peterson struck again for what would be the game-winning goal with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. Connor Szmul added another goal shortly after, and Dayne Hoyord sealed the victory with an empty net goal in the closing seconds.

Peterson also contributed an assist alongside Max Giblin and Max Dronen for UW-Eau Claire. Max Gutjahr made 24 saves for the Blugolds, marking their first win over UW-Stevens Point since January 2023.

Looking ahead, UW-Eau Claire will host MSOE for a two-game series starting on January 10 at Hobbs Ice Arena. Fans can follow their progress throughout the season on Blugolds.com or via social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.