Anna Nelson

Needing a victory in its regular season finale against UW-Superior Saturday night at Hobbs Ice Center to host a first-round playoff game, the men’s hockey team sputtered offensively and fell to the Yellowjackets, 3-1.

Superior, 16-5-3 overall, 8-3-3 in the National Collegiate Hockey Association, scored one goal late in the first period, then jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second period with two goals in a span of less than two minutes.

“I don’t think they did anything spectacular, and neither did we,” junior forward Justin Kaufenberg said. “We had a short lapse in the second period that they capitalized on. We had a lot of nice chances and we couldn’t put the puck in the back of the net. They did. They were opportunistic, we weren’t.”

The Blugolds (12-11-2, 7-6-1) kept their hopes for a comeback alive when junior forward Matt Gehr scored, but couldn’t get anything else past Superior goalie Nathan Ziemski.

Coach Marlin Muylaert said he was pleased with his team’s effort in the first and third periods. Against a team like Superior, who beat the Blugolds Nov. 30 at Superior, two solid periods isn’t enough.

“We came out very soft in the second period,” Muylaert said. “When you’re a team like us battling so hard to win every game, you can’t have soft periods.”

Although Superior outshot the Blugolds, 35-24, Eau Claire had plenty of good looks at the net.

“We had quality chances,” Muylaert said. “Our nemesis all year has been getting great chances, but not burying pucks. And that did us in tonight.”

The loss, coupled with UW-River Falls’ 4-0 victory at Lake Forest, dropped the Blugolds into the fifth spot in the NCHA. Fourth-place River Falls (16-7-2, 7-5-2) will host Eau Claire next weekend.

The two teams will play a two-game series, with one game Friday and another Saturday. If the teams split, a mini game will be played Saturday to determine which squad advances to the next round.

The Blugolds’ weekend wasn’t a total disappointment. They defeated St. Scholastica (Minn.) Friday at Hobbs to secure their first season above .500 since the 1994-95 season.

The ‘Golds dominated St. Scholastica throughout the contest, scoring three goals in the first period and one early in the third before St. Scholastica could get on the board.

The Blugolds like their chances in the quarterfinal against River Falls. The team tied the Falcons 2-2 in their season opener at River Falls, then beat them Jan. 26 at home, 5-3.

“Our game plan doesn’t change at all,” Kaufenberg said. “We’ll dump the puck at the red line, we’ll forecheck hard and hopefully we’ll put the puck in the net.”