Long Unbeaten Streak Ends in Loss at UW-Eau Claire

From Sports Information Director, January 16, 2010 | Men's Hockey
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

EAU CLAIRE - St. Norbert College had a 39-game unbeaten streak snapped in a 5-1 loss to UW-Eau Claire in a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association game at Hobbs Ice Arena.

The Green Knights (13-3-1, 8-2 NCHA), ranked third in the USCHO.com Division III poll, were 37-0-2 since a 5-4 overtime loss to the Blugolds on Jan. 21, 1995. It was also St. Norbert's worst NCHA loss since a 7-3 loss to UW-Superior on Feb. 2, 2001 at the Cornerstone Community Center. UW-Eau Claire improved to 6-8-3, 2-5-3.

Eau Claire didn't waste much time getting the lead against St. Norbert, getting a power-play goal 38 seconds into the game by Tyler Romasco. Eau Claire added a power-play goal at 9:41 by Jordan Singer for a 2-0 lead. St. Norbert would halve the deficit on a Scott Pulak power-play goal at 16:59 of the first.

The Blugolds would put only two shots on goal on St. Norbert goaltender B.J. O'Brien in the second period, but both would end up in the back of the net. Kurt Weston scored shorthanded at 1:16 of the frame, and Joe Bluhm added a power-play goal at 17:37. D.J. Clark's power-play goal at 18:38 of the third period rounded out the scoring.

St. Norbert outshot Eau Claire 33-18 but was 1-for-9 on the power play. Eau Claire was 4-for-6 on the power play and added its shorthanded goal.

O'Brien made 13 saves in the game, getting five in the first, zero in the second and eight in the third. Eau Claire's Brandon Stephens made 32 saves in the game, including all 17 he faced in the game's decisive second period.