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Issued: March 1, 2008

OVERTIME GOAL ENDS MEN’S HOCKEY TOURNEY RUN

MENOMONIE, Wis. – This year’s UW-Eau Claire men’s hockey team is the only one in program history to make it to the Peters Cup semifinals, but it lost 3-2 in overtime to 11th-ranked UW-Stout tonight.

Fifth-seeded Eau Claire made it to the second round off an upset over fourth-seeded UW-Superior. Eau Claire took Game One 4-2 and Superior blanked the Blugolds 5-0 in the second. This forced a 20-minute mini-game that Eau Claire won 1-0. Third-seeded Stout defeated sixth-seeded UW-Stevens Point in games of 8-4 and 7-1.

After Stout outshot Eau Claire 9-to-5 in the first period, the Blue Devils scored just 25 seconds into the second on a power-play. The Blugolds returned the advantage goal with one of their own about two minutes later. Bryan Plaszcz (So.-Apple Valley, MN) shot it in while Andrew Johnson (Jr.-Andover, MN/Anoka) assisted. The Blugolds took the lead at 14:18 when Peter Bracker (Jr.-Albert Lee, MN) found net. Dan Fina (Jr.-Fontana/Glenbard South, IL) had the helper.

Eau Claire kept the one-goal lead until 15:22 in the third. Stout outshot Eau Claire 15-to-7 in the period, but got just the one goal.

The overtime period saw the Blue Devils outshoot the Blugolds 7-to-5 and with 5:47 to play, Scott Motz lit the lamp to end Eau Claire’s season.

Stout had 39 shots compared to 28 for Eau Claire, making for 36 Tyler Brigl (So.-Eagan, MN) saves. Mike Stone played the whole game for Stout and turned away 26 shots.

The Blue Devils only had three penalties and the Blugolds had six. Eau Claire went 1-for-3 on the advantage and Stout went 1-for-5.

This year’s team ends the year with an 11-16-1 overall record. It is the first in school history to win a playoff series and to win a mini-game.

- PH -

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