The UWEC boys had a couple short weeks of practice before the season opened at home taking on the Mankato Mavericks. It didn’t take long for the guys to get the party started as Brad Boldenow (1) got the Blugolds on the board five minutes into the first. Fellow Eden Prairie boy Andy Mlynar (1) followed up and put the Blugolds up two, late in the first. Defenseman Alex Zitske had a couple of assits on the pair of goals. The Blugolds rolled on in the second as Michael Preskar (1) and Austin King (1) added a couple more genos to the cause to put the Blugolds up four. Kato got one in the second but that would be it as far as the scoring in game one. Blugolds coasted to a four-one victory and tender Nate Teuscher looked good turning away 24 of 25 shots.
The second game the Eau Claire boys we’re hungry for the sweep and defender Austin Oungst (1) tickled the twine less than two minutes into the game for the one to zero lead. However, Mankato answered back quickly and knotted the game at one twenty seconds later. That was the wake-up call the guys needed and erupted to score the next five goals, unanswered. Among the goal scores were Dillon Gavazzoni (2) with a pair, Ryan Theiler (1), Kyle Geiger (1), Chad Smith (1) and Jarrid Balz (1). The EC boys skated to their first sweep of the year with a decisive seven to two victory.
The second game the Eau Claire boys we’re hungry for the sweep and defender Austin Oungst (1) tickled the twine less than two minutes into the game for the one to zero lead. However, Mankato answered back quickly and knotted the game at one twenty seconds later. That was the wake-up call the guys needed and erupted to score the next five goals, unanswered. Among the goal scores were Dillon Gavazzoni (2) with a pair, Ryan Theiler (1), Kyle Geiger (1), Chad Smith (1) and Jarrid Balz (1). The EC boys skated to their first sweep of the year with a decisive seven to two victory.