Blue Devils hold off Blugolds in WIAC opener to win 4-3

UW-Stout 4, UW-Eau Claire 3 | Photo Gallery

MENOMONIE (November 29, 2017) - In a wild finish at the Fanetti Community Center, UW-Stout (4-6-1, 1-0-0) finished off WIAC foe UW-Eau Claire (7-4-0, 0-1-0), 4-3 in the first WIAC matchup of the young season. 

It didn't take long for Stout to get on the board as Dylan Zins scored just 1:48 into the game. Austin Jackson and Hunter Anderson received an assist on the goal.

After a back and forth matchup between the teams, Mathias Ahman, Stout's scoring leader, scored a power play goal with just under 10 minutes left to play in the first period. The goal is Ahman's fourth on the season. Konnar Dechaine and Connor Chambers notched an assist in the stat line.

With just under four minutes left in the first period, the Blue Devils' Hunter Anderson scored with passes from Zins and Jackson to make it 3-0. The Blue Devils, and Anderson, were not yet finished with the first period as the sophomore transfer scored again with just under two minutes to play in the first period to make it 4-0 going into the first intermission. Zins and Jackson again had the assists on the goal on Anderson's fourth goal of the season.

During the second period, the Blugolds' Mac Jansen scored his WIAC-leading eighth goal of the season at the 13:47 mark. The goal counted as a power play goal and was the only goal scored in the second period by both teams to make the score 4-1 at the second break. 

The Blugolds did not back down as the third period would start fast. With a lot of back and forth play by both teams throughout the period, the Blugolds would find a way to get a rare penalty shot with just under five minutes left to play. Eau Claire's Todd Koritzinsky skated down the ice and made a move on Tommi Ahlgren, but Ahlgren made a great pad save to keep the score at 4-1. 

After taking a pair of penalties with just five minutes left in the game, the Blugolds found themselves down two men, but Stout could not find the back of the net as the Blugolds would kill both penalties. With 2:15 left in the game, Eau Claire's Jake Hopfner scored on a power play goal to get back within two goals.

At the two minute mark, the net was empty for UW-Eau Claire. Just 15 seconds after the goalie left the net, the Blugolds' Adam Parsells scored his first goal of the season to make it 4-3. As time was winding down, the Blue Devils were assessed another penalty. With just 14 seconds left in the game, the Blugolds had six players on the ice compared to the Blue Devils four. Stout's defense and goaltending would hold as the Blue Devils would take the first WIAC matchup of the year with a score of 4-3.

Tommi Ahlgren finished the game with 20 saves and stopped every shot when the Blue Devils were at even strength.

Eau Claire's Camden Haugenoe started the game and stopped four shots, but also let in four goals, and didn't make it out of the first period. David Johnson played for 40 minutes and stopped all 13 shots from the Blue Devils.

Eau Claire finished the game 2-8 on the power play and the Blue Devils finished 1-5. The Blugolds would outshoot Stout, 23-21.

Up next for the Blue Devils is another WIAC matchup against UW-Superior at the Fanetti Community Center at 7:05 p.m.