JANESVILLE, WI – In a season defined by growth and resilience, the Beloit College Buccaneers faced their toughest test of the year on this afternoon, hosting the powerhouse UW-River Falls Falcons. While the final score of 9-1 favored the visiting Falcons (18-1-0, 6-1-0 WIAC), the box score tells a story of a Beloit squad that refused to back down, anchored by a career-defining performance in the net and a second-period surge that electrified the home crowd at the Woodman's Sports & Convention Center.
The headline of the afternoon for the Buccaneers was the Herculean effort of senior goaltender Zoey Soost (Gillette, Wyoming). Facing an unrelenting offensive barrage from a Falcons team that currently sits at the top of the standings, Soost, on her senior day, was nothing short of spectacular.
The Falcons peppered the Beloit net with 58 total shots on goal. Soost turned away 49 of them, including a staggering 24 saves in the second period alone. Her ability to track the puck through traffic and deny high-danger opportunities kept the Buccaneers within striking distance during the early stages of the contest and earned the respect of everyone in attendance.
After a difficult first period that saw the Falcons jump to a 3-0 lead, Beloit returned to the ice for the second frame with renewed energy. The defensive unit, led by Natalie Gurr (Okotoks, Alberta, Canada) and Fianne Makela (Duluth, MN), began clogging passing lanes and sacrificing their bodies, combining for a significant portion of the team's 21 blocked shots.
The persistence paid off at the 06:57 mark of the second period. In a brilliant display of transition hockey, Naiya Chapman (Gillette, Wyoming) and Kylie Schryer (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) orchestrated a quick breakout, finding Addison Gruhlke (Eau Claire, Wis.) in space. Gruhlke capitalized on the opportunity, slotting home her second goal of the season to cut the deficit and bring the Beloit bench to its feet.
For a stretch following the goal, the momentum clearly shifted. The Buccaneers played their most disciplined hockey of the game, winning key faceoffs—led by Natasha Ludwig (Royalton) and Schryer —and disrupting the Falcons' rhythm in the neutral zone.
The Buccaneers wrapped up their home games in the 2025-26 season but still have seven more games on the schedule. Up next is a Friday/Saturday series at UW-Stevens Point. Puck drop on Friday, January 30th is set for 7 pm from K.B. Willett Arena.
