JANESVILLE, WI — In a daunting Friday night matchup at the Woodman's Sports & Convention Center, the Beloit College Buccaneers (2-15-0, 0-5-0 WIAC) faced off against one of the nation's premier programs, UW-River Falls (17-1-0, 5-1-0 WIAC). While the Falcons walked away with an 11-0 victory, the final score belied a story of immense defensive resilience and a significant momentum shift in the final frame that saw the Buccaneers find their footing against an offensive juggernaut.
The undisputed story of the night for Beloit was the Herculean effort of goaltender Madison Bliss (Fort Frances, Ontario). Facing a relentless barrage of 63 shots on goal, Bliss remained a focal point of composure for the Buccaneers. She turned aside 52 shots in total, including two separate periods where she was forced to make 20 saves.
Her performance was particularly noteworthy in the first and third periods, where she stood firm against a Falcons power play that entered the game with high expectations. Despite the pressure, Bliss's ability to track the puck through heavy traffic kept the Buccaneers competitive in spirit throughout the 60 minutes of play.
After a difficult first 40 minutes where the Falcons jumped out to a 10-0 lead, the Buccaneers refused to fold. The third period represented a massive momentum shift and a moral victory for Beloit's defensive unit.
In the final 20 minutes, the Buccaneers tightened their gaps and became significantly more aggressive in the neutral zone. They limited the high-flying Falcons to just a single goal in the third period, despite facing 21 shots in that frame alone. This defensive stand was punctuated by a successful penalty kill midway through the period, where Beloit successfully neutralized a UW-River Falls power play following a hooking call on Kailey Niccum.
Beyond the crease, several Buccaneers stepped up to disrupt the Falcons' rhythm. Kylie Schryer (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) was a force in the faceoff circle, winning a team-high 11 draws to help Beloit regain possession in critical moments.
The defensive corps also showed a willingness to sacrifice, led by Hannah Chady (Janesville, Wis. ), who recorded 3 blocked shots. Rachel Fussy (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and Kennedy Gruhlke (Eau Claire, Wis.) added two blocks each, contributing to a team total of 13 blocked shots—a testament to the "never-quit" attitude of the Beloit roster.
Offensively, the Buccaneers saw an uptick in production as the game progressed. After being held to just two shots in the opening period, Beloit tripled that output in the third, firing 6 shots on Falcons' goaltender Catt Donna. Players like Fussy and Evie Daly (Saint Paul, Minn.) were active in the offensive zone late in the game, forcing Donna to make several difficult saves to preserve the shutout.
The Buccaneers and Falcons face off again tomorrow at 2 pm at the Woodman's Center.
