MENOMONIE, Wis. — In a physical, defensive slugfest that mirrored the history of the UW-Stout vs. UW-Superior rivalry, the Blue Devils earned a hard-fought 2–0 victory on Saturday night at the Fanetti Community Center. With the win, Stout moves to 2-1-1 in WIAC play, sitting second in the conference, while Superior entered the matchup receiving votes in this week's national rankings.
Freshman goaltender Sebastian Monaco delivered a standout performance, stopping all 20 shots he faced to secure the first shutout of his collegiate career. Both teams clogged shooting lanes and blocked a heavy dose of attempts, but Monaco's poise and timely saves were crucial throughout the night.
After more than 56 minutes of scoreless hockey, Stout finally broke through. William Schofield dug the puck loose along the boards and shoveled it ahead to Noah Tyrrell, creating a 2-on-1 with Maksis Brimanis. Tyrrell slipped a smooth cross-crease feed to Brimanis, who buried the go-ahead goal at 16:07 of the third period.
Schofield added insurance just over two minutes later with his first career goal, spinning in his own zone and sending a long clearing attempt into Superior's empty net to seal the victory.
The game featured the trademark edge of this rivalry—physical play, big hits, and a pile of penalties, including multiple majors in the second period. The Blue Devils remained composed, went a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill, and leaned on both structure and grit to close out the win.
By the Numbers
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1 — First collegiate shutout for freshman goalie Sebastian Monaco
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1 — First career goal for William Schofield
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2 — Points for the Schofield–Tyrell–Brimanis line on the game-winning play
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20 — Shots faced and stopped by Monaco
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24–20 — Stout's advantage in shots on goal
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7 — Combined penalties in a chippy second period
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0 — Goals allowed on the penalty kill (Stout went 4-for-4)
Up Next
UW-Stout shifts its attention to a home-and-home WIAC series with UW-River Falls next weekend.
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Friday, 7 p.m. — at UW-River Falls
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Saturday, 7 p.m. — at the Fanetti Community Center in Menomonie
