Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team made their return to the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Tournament after a 12-year hiatus, facing off against Aurora University. The match, held in Geneva, Illinois, ended with the Blugolds falling to the Spartans with a score of 3-2.

Aurora took an early lead with a power play goal in the first period. Both teams had limited opportunities on the power play, each getting only one chance. After a goalless second period, both teams scored early in the third. Leo Bacallao from UW-Eau Claire narrowed Aurora's lead to 2-1 with a goal from the slot.

In the final moments of the game, Aurora extended their lead with an empty net goal. Despite Jadon Reimer scoring his first collegiate goal for UW-Eau Claire with just 17 seconds remaining, they were unable to equalize before time ran out.

Max Gutjahr played a significant role for Eau Claire by limiting Aurora's high-scoring offense to two goals on 36 shots. Aurora came into this game as one of the top offensive teams in the nation. The Spartans had more shots overall at 37-26 but Eau Claire excelled in faceoffs, winning 38 out of 62 draws.

With this result, UW-Eau Claire concludes their season with an overall record of 14-16-1 and an 8-7 record within their conference play in WIAC. This season also saw them clinch their fifth WIAC title in program history.

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