STEVENS POINT, Wis. — The Beloit College men's ice hockey team faced a relentless offensive attack this evening, falling 6-0 to University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at KB Willett Arena. Despite the lopsided result, the Buccaneers (2-5-1, 1-3-0 WIAC) displayed moments of defensive grit, anchored by a busy night between the pipes for goaltender Andrew Yocum (St. Louis, MO).
The story of the night for Beloit was the workload of netminder Yocum. Facing a staggering 49 shots on goal, Yocum turned away 43 attempts, including several high-danger chances during the first and second periods to keep the Buccaneers within striking distance early on.
The Pointers (4-4-1, 2-1-1 WIAC) opened the scoring four minutes into the first period, but Yocum and the Beloit defense held firm for the next eight minutes, killing off plays and blocking shots. Sam Holy (Chicago, IL), Jack Baird (Riverside, CA) and Cooper Anderson (Marquette, MI) were instrumental on the back end, each recording three blocked shots to help shield the net.
The Buccaneers looked to generate momentum in the first period, matching the Pointers' physical play. Forward Ben Stewart (Dayton, OH) led the offensive charge for the Bucs, recording a team-high four shots on goal.
Midway through the first, the Bucs found themselves on the power play following a cross-checking penalty by UWSP. Valerii Kneib (Dmitrov, Russia) managed a shot on goal during the man advantage, and Baird attempted a drive from the point that was blocked, but the Buccaneers could not solve UWSP goaltender Alex Proctor.
The game turned in the second period, where the ice tilted heavily in favor of the home team. The Pointers unleashed 26 shots in the middle frame alone. While Yocum made save after save, the Pointers managed to find the back of the net twice in a span of 40 seconds early in the period to extend their lead to 4-0.
Offensively, Beloit struggled to break out of their zone in the second, managing only three shots on goal as the Pointers controlled the neutral zone.
Refusing to go down quietly, Beloit came out with renewed energy in the third period. The Buccaneers generated their best sustained pressure of the night, recording eight shots on goal.
A major momentum opportunity arose at the 3:48 mark when UWSP was assessed a five-minute major for hitting from behind, giving Beloit an extended power play. However, the momentum swung back to the hosts when Gabe Randel scored a shorthanded goal to push the lead to 6-0.
Despite the deficit, Beloit continued to battle in the faceoff circle. Kaden Milles (Fairbanks, AK) was a bright spot on the dot, winning 9 of 16 faceoffs (56.3%), while Joe Weber (Rochester, NY) won 60% of his draws.
The Buccaneers are back at home next week, hosting UW-Superior on Friday and Saturday. Puck drop for both games will be at 7 pm. Both games will be played on the multi-purpose rink.
