Box Score

STEVENS POINT – The UW-Stevens Point men's hockey team (5-8-0, 2-7-0 NCHA) took down the Blugolds of UW-Eau Claire(3-6-3, 1-3-3 NCHA) 4-2 at K.B. Willett Arena on Friday evening for their second Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) win of the season.

The Pointers netted the first goal of the game when Harrison Niemann (Canton, MI) took a pass from Garrett Suter (Madison) and Jon Madden (Brighton, MI) and slammed it past Blugold goalie Brandon Stephenson for the short handed score.

The Pointers pulled out to a 2-0 lead early in the second period when Johnny Meo (Vernon Hills, IL/Ursuline) and Kyle Greco (Hillside, IL/Fenwick) found an open Luke Nesper (Eagle River, WI/Northland Pines), who then pushed the puck past Stephenson just 2:19 into the period.

Eau Claire answered back 1:17 later with a goal of their own, making the score 2-1 in favor of the Pointers. The one goal lead didn't last long, as Meo and Tom Upton (Austin, TX/Westwood) hooked up with Nick Kenney (Wixom, MI/Walled Lake Western) for the third Pointer goal. Kenney's goal, just :34 after the Blugold goal, put the Pointers up 3-1.

Greco scored late in the second when he took a pass from Chris Annunziato (Alto Loma, CA/Los Osos) and Sam Graham (Los Angeles, CA/Ridgewood/Mira Costa) and powered it passed Eau Claire goaltender Tyler Brigl, who was substituted for Stephenson after the Pointers scored their third goal of the game.

Eau Claire added an early third period goal, but the Pointer defense tightened up and kept the score at 4-2. Thomas Spear tallied 17 saves on the evening for his second straight victory in net.

The Pointers return to action tomorrow night, Dec. 12, when they host Eau Claire for the second game of the weekend series. The Pointers will be “Putting a Check to Cancer” and fans are encouraged to wear black for a “Black Out.” Puck drops at 7:30 p.m.