EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The Northland College Men's Hockey team was defeated 8-1 by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the opening game of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament on Friday night in Eau Claire, Wis.
 
Both teams traded shots early, with Logan Gallagher recording Northland's first shot. The Blugolds soon went on the power play and capitalized with Max Dronen scoring. Northland struggled to generate shots in the first period, and Dronen added two more goals, putting the Blugolds up 3-0 at the end of the first.
 
UW-Eau Claire continued its offensive pressure into the second period, scoring just before the five-minute mark and again 12 seconds later. The LumberJacks had a power play opportunity, but Ben Stewart's shot was saved and Nolan Christy hit the post. Although Northland didn't score on the power play, Gallagher put the LumberJacks on the board with an assist from Nik Johnson. Northland had another power play to end the period but could not capitalize.
 
The Jacks had the most shots in the third period but were unable to beat the goaltender for a second time. The Blugolds added three more goals to close out the game with an 8-1 victory.
 
Gallagher scored his seventh goal of the season, with Johnson earning his third assist of the year. Gallagher and Johnson led the team with three shots each, while Stewart, Brock Hart, Valerii Kneib, and Nolan Christy each had two. Defensively, Johnson blocked three shots, and Christian Shields stopped two. In goal, Andrew Yocum made 20 saves, and Mitch Taylor closed out the game with seven.
 
The Jacks and Blugolds will conclude the series tomorrow (Saturday) with a 7 p.m. puck drop.
 
Northland College is an NCAA Division III institution located in Ashland, WI. The LumberJacks and LumberJills sponsor 14 varsity sports and compete in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.