River Falls Takes Season Sweep Of Women's Hockey

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Posted: Saturday, February 4, 2006

RIVER FALLS - The five-game Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) stretch to end the season got off to a rough start for the UW-Eau Claire women's hockey team as it gave up three first period goals in a 5-1 loss to UW-River Falls this evening.

The Blugolds now drop to 0-7-4 in the NCHA while the Falcons record improves to 7-4-0. The team is third behind UW-Superior and UW-Stevens Point in the standings. Eau Claire is 5-11-4 overall while River Falls climbs to 12-8-1 on the year.

Eau Claire was outshot 33-21 and had six power plays, none of which it converted on. River Falls went 2 for 4 in its power plays.

The one bright spot for the team was Amanda Schultz (Sr.-Stevens Point/SPASH), who had just come off a huge game in which she had a hat trick, the only one so far this season for the Blugolds. She tied it up 1-1 at 7:11 into the first while Rochelle Smits (Fr.-Green Bay/Preble) provided the assist. It was even-sided. The Falcons answered during the 10th minute on an evenhanded score of their own to take the lead for good. One more power-play goal in the first as well as even-strength scores in the second and third made for the final score.

Jill Arendt (So.-Plymouth, MN/Wayzata) stopped 28 shots on the night.

Eau Claire is now 3-18-3 against the Falcons since 2000. It was the third and final time the Blugolds faced this opponent in the season and all ended in Eau Claire defeat. The teams actually played each other last year on the same date, but the result was the same. River Falls won 3-1.

The Blugolds look to improve their NCHA fortunes next weekend when they play Stevens Point Friday and Saturday. Eau Claire will battle the No. 2 team in the NCHA at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Stevens Point and then come home for the 7:00 p.m. Saturday contest.

Eau Claire-River Falls Box Score

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