Issued: January 2, 2004

WOMEN'S HOCKEY BEGINS NEW YEAR WITH A WIN

EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Eau Claire women's hockey team had an offensive eruption to start off 2004 defeating Bethel (MN) College in convincing fashion 8-2 here tonight at Hobbs Ice Center.

The eight-goal outburst was the most goals scored by the Blugolds in a single game since a 9-2 victory at Lake Forest (IL) on February 15, 2003.

The Blugolds scored the lone goal of the first period when Connie Cameron (Sr.-Chippewa Falls/McDonell) hit the back of the net at 8:25 to give Eau Claire an early 1-0 lead.

Martina Korinek (Fr.-White Bear Lake, MN) became only the second Blugold in school history to score a short-handed goal, doing so at 13:02, to give Eau Claire an early 2-1 advantage in the second period.

Bethel would answer with their first goal at 8:06 to cut the Blugold lead to 2-1. Amanda Schultz (So.-Stevens Point/SPASH) netted her first goal of the game at 4:08 in the second period pushing the lead to 3-1. The Royals cut the lead to 3-2 scoring their second goal of the period with just two seconds left until intermission.

The Blugold offense scored early and often in the third period accounting for five goals to end any hopes of a Royal comeback. Allison Campbell (Fr.-Plymouth, MN/Wayzata) scored her first collegiate goal just 40 seconds into the third period giving the Blugolds a 4-2 lead. Schultz quickly added her second goal of the game 18 seconds later to make the score 5-2. Karen Hebert (Fr.-Lakeville, MN/Holy Angels) joined Campbell in scoring her first collegiate goal doing so unassisted at 17:18 to extend the Blugold lead to 6-3.

Schultz recorded her second career hat trick with her third goal at 8:18 giving the Blugolds a 7-2 advantage. Schultz joins Cameron as the only Blugolds to record multiple hat tricks as each has now posted two career hat tricks. Megan Christopherson (Sr.-Stillwater, MN) closed out the Blugold scoring barrage firing a shot from the blue line for her first goal of the season.

Tara Berlute (Jr.-Bloomington, MN/Holy Angels) saved 11 of 13 shots on net for the Blugolds, who outshot the Royals 40-13.

The Blugolds return to the ice tomorrow night when the face the University of St. Thomas (MN) for a 7:05 face-off at Hobbs Ice Center.

Eau Claire 8, Bethel 2

1P: EC-Connie Cameron (Hubert), 8:25.

2P: EC-Martin Kortinek, 13:02 sh; BC-Julien Olson, 8:06; EC-Amanda Schultz (Hubert), 4:08; BC-Stephanie Williams (Olson), :02.

3P: EC-Allison Campbell (Suppes, Korinek), 19:20, EC-Amanda Schultz, 19:02; EC-Karen Hebert, 17:18; EC-Amanda Schultz (Wasem, Cameron), 8:18; EC-Megan Christopherson (Zollars, Oswall), 5:01.

Shots: EC 10-14-16-40, BC 2-7-4-13.
Saves: EC 2-5-4-11, BC 9-12-11-32.
Power Plays: EC 0 for 1, BC 0 for 3.
Penalties: EC 3 for 6 minutes, BC 1 for 2 minutes
Records: EC 3-7-2 overall, 0-6-0 NCHA; BC 1-5-1 overall.