EAU CLAIRE, WI – In a gritty display of resilience and defensive fortitude, the Beloit College Buccaneers (4-14-1, 1-8-0 WIAC) pushed the powerhouse UW-Eau Claire Blugolds (13-5-1, 8-1-0 WIAC) to the final whistle this evening at Hobbs Ice Arena. Despite a lopsided shot count, the Buccaneers utilized a lethal power play and world-class goaltending to hold a lead deep into the third period before eventually falling 3-2 in a tightly contested battle.
From the opening puck drop, the story of the game was Beloit netminder Andrew Yocum (St. Louis, MO). The Blugolds came out firing, peppering the Beloit goal with 13 shots in the first period alone. Yocum was spectacular, turning away every attempt and keeping the game scoreless heading into the first intermission. His performance provided the backbone the Buccaneers needed to stay competitive against an aggressive UWEC offensive. Yocum finished the night with a staggering 41 saves, including 20 in the third period alone.
The second period saw the game open up. UW-Eau Claire finally broke the deadlock at the 9:24 mark on a power play goal by Easton Inglis. Many teams might have folded under the pressure of the Blugolds' home crowd, but Beloit responded with a major momentum shift.
At 16:45 of the second, Beloit found their opening on the man advantage. Max Von Klinggraeff (Edina, MN) found the back of the net, assisted by Ben Stewart (Dayton, OH) and Joe Weber (Rochester, NY), to knot the game at 1-1.
The Buccaneers carried that energy directly into the final frame. Just over seven minutes into the third period, Beloit silenced the arena. Capitalizing on another power play, Von Klinggraeff struck again for his second goal of the night, once again assisted by Weber and Hunter Nelson (Jamestown, ND). With a 2-1 lead and 12 minutes remaining, Beloit sat in the driver's seat, showcasing a disciplined defensive shell and opportunistic scoring.
The Blugolds, desperate to avoid the upset on home ice, intensified their forecheck. Inglis managed to tie the game at 2-2 with an even-strength goal at 14:33. The final blow came following a Beloit penalty for tripping with ten minutes left; though the Bucs killed most of it, the sustained pressure led to a final UWEC power play goal by Nolan Grier at 17:19.
Beloit pulled Yocum for an extra attacker in the final minute, but despite a frantic push, they could not find the equalizer.
The Buccaneers are back in action next Friday and Saturday at UW-Stout. The two game series against the Blue Devils is set to be played at the Fanetti Community Center with puck drop for both nights set for 7 pm.
