EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The No. 2 women's hockey team suffered its second loss of the season in its last contest before the 10-day holiday break, falling to No. 13/14 UW-Eau Claire on the road. The Gusties (4-2-0, 4-0-0 MIAC) took an early 2-0 lead but it faded, as the team dropped a series of unanswered goals to a nationally-ranked WIAC opponent for the second time this season, falling 4-3 against the Blugolds (5-3-0, 2-1-0 WIAC).
Lily Mortenson (Jr., Champlin, Minn.) scored twice, including a last second tally to snap the unanswered goal streak, but it wasn't enough, as the nationally-ranked team dropped to 4-2-0 on the season.
After scoring 11 goals in two games the weekend before, the Gusties wasted no time getting one behind Eau Claire netminder Tegan Swanson, as Mortenson added her team-leading fifth of the season just 2:31 into the game. After
Kaitlyn Holland (Sr., Aberdeen, S.D.) poked the puck free at the Gustie blue line, Mortenson snuck behind the Blugold defense, walking out front to send a shot between the legs of Swanson for an early 1-0 lead.
Less than four minutes later, the Gusties doubled that advantage, as a perfect faceoff from
Kayla Woytcke (Jr., Waconia, Minn.) sent the puck to the point and the stick of
Kylie Scott (So., Dayton, Minn.). Scott scored her first of the year from the point, sending her shot over Swanson's left pad. The Gusties held on to the momentum for the first half of the period, but the home team slowly began to fall into its groove. UWEC found itself on a 2-on-1 short-handed break, and the pass beat the Gustie defense, but
Lily Timmons (Fy., Stillwater, Minn.) was up to the task, making her first big save of the game.
With just 15 seconds remaining in the first period, the Blugolds cut the lead in half, as a shot from the half wall provided an uncontested player out front two attempts on Timmons, with the second rebounding beating the first-year tendy for a 2-1 score at the end of the first.
The momentum from the last second goal carried over into the next period, as the Blugolds tied things up with a goal nearly identical to Scott's. A faceoff win sent the puck back to Kylie Wiltse on the power play, who beat Timmons five minutes into the second frame. And UWEC wasn't done for the period, taking the lead with their third unanswered and second of the period, once more off a faceoff. Despite a Gustie power play, the Blugolds were able to maneuver their way into the Gustie zone and earn an offensive draw. Winning the puck forward, Maddie Hulter walked past the Gustie defense down low and sent a shot on Timmons, leaving the rebound to be scooped up by her teammate to take their first lead of the game, 3-2.
Following the third tally, the Gusties saw a few dangerous scoring chances, but came up empty. The visitors' best attempt of the period was a pass from Mortenson on the wing to Holland all alone in front of the net, but a sprawling Swanson made the save of the game to rob Holland of the equalizer. Timmons responded just a few minutes later with a miraculous save of her own, as two Blugolds attacked the Gustie zone without a defender, but Timmons' block kept the UWEC lead at one at the end of the second.
The No. 2 Gusties had a few chances in the first half of the third period, most notably a 4-on-4 breakaway for Holland, but Swanson locked things up with a save under her elbow. The senior captain had another chance just a few seconds later on the penalty kill, but Swanson was in the right place at the right time to make the save and maintain the lead for her team. UW-Eau Claire added their fourth without a response on an empty net tally, sealing the victory with 23 seconds remaining in the game.
After the puck drop following the empty netter, the Gusties continued to fight until the last whistle, with Mortenson cleaning up a rebound to have the last word with her second of the game, but with just one second remaining on the clock, it was far too late to tie the game.
Despite scoring five power play goals against Concordia the weekend before, the Gusties went 0-for-4 with the player advantage, while UWEC converted one on special teams. The Blugolds out-shot the Gusties 27-21, including a mark of 13-6 in the two-goal second period.
Timmons made a career-high 23 saves for the Gusties in the loss, including 10 in the first period and 11 in the second. Mortenson led the charge with two points on two goals, both assisted by her linemate Holland. She also led the team with five shots on goal, followed by
Grace Schuck (Jr., Bloomington, Minn.) with four, and extended her point streak to six games.
The Gusties will take a break for the next week and a half before jumping back into conference play, facing No. 8/9 Augsburg (5-0-1, 4-0-0 MIAC) in Minneapolis on Dec. 6 before hosting the Auggies at Don Roberts Ice Rink the following day.
