Box Score | Coach Nichol Postgame

STEVENS POINT – Everything came up smelling like roses for the Pointer men's hockey team on Saturday evening, as they skated to a 4-2 victory over the Blugolds of UW-Eau Claire in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) action at K.B. Willett Arena.

In addition to the victory, the Pointers helped “Put a Check to Cancer,” as all the money raised from the sale of pink roses, 50/50 and the game-worn jerseys went to benefit the Cancer Services Fund of the Saint Michael's Hospital Foundation to help local cancer patients.

Down 1-0 after the first period, the Pointers came firing back, as Jon Madden (Brighton, MI/Howell) scored a shorthanded goal 5:36 into the second, knotting the score at one, after which fans littered the ice with pink roses to show their support for local cancer patients.

Reed Lally (Duluth, MN/East) got in on the action just over four minutes later, as he scored off a pass from Kyle Greco (Hillside, IL/Fenwick), giving the Pointers a one goal lead, 2-1.

Madden tallied his second goal of the game at the 15:36 mark of the second, pushing the Pointer advantage to 3-1.

In the third, Eau Claire made it interesting, cutting their deficit to just one, 3-2, as Skylar Christoffersen scored at the 7:58 mark, giving the Blugolds a glimmer of hope.

The prospect of winning their third straight game and sweeping the weekend series was a powerful motivator for the Pointers, as Harrison Niemann (Canton, MI/Novi) scored at the 15:28 mark of the third, pushing the advantage to 4-2 and sealing the victory.

Thomas Spear tallied 26 saves in net for the Pointers in the victory while Tyler Brigl stopped 21 UWSP shots in earning the loss.

UW-Stevens Point will now break for the holidays and return to action on Jan 2 when they travel to Appleton for a match-up with Lawrence University.