EAU CLAIRE, WIS.--The No. 15 Hamline University women's hockey team defeated No. 9 UW-Eau Claire 6-0 at Hobbs Ice Arena on Monday night. This victory marked their first triumph over a nationally-ranked team since February 11, 2022, when they narrowly defeated No. 6 Gustavus Adolphus 2-1 OT at TRIA Rink.

The Pipers, who are off to their best start since 2018-19, improve to 9-2 while the Blugolds fall to 10-4-0.

Hamline 6, UW-Eau Claire 0

The first period saw Hamline take an early lead with a goal at 12:47 by Cailey McLaughlin. The Blugolds applied pressure with multiple shots, but Kendra Nordick's goalkeeping for the Pipers was effective, as she denied several attempts from players including McKenna Sandberg and Sadie Long. Annabel Mehta received a penalty for delaying the game at 10:14, giving the Blugolds a power play opportunity, which they could not capitalize on. Later, Hamline's Emme Nelson also served a penalty for tripping, but the Blugolds' power play ended early due to a roughing penalty on Sadie Long, keeping the score at 1-0 in favor of the Pipers by the end of the period.

The second period began with Hamline taking control as Emme Nelson scored an unassisted goal at 2:38, extending their lead to 2-0. The Pipers continued their offensive momentum with Marissa Fehr scoring at 7:26 and Haley Eder-Zdechlik adding another goal at 10:56, making it 4-0. Just minutes later, Eder-Zdechlik scored again at 13:52, bringing the score to 5-0. Morgan Wohlers capped off the period with a goal at 18:32, assisted by Annika Lindgren and Emme Nelson, ending the period with Hamline leading 6-0.

The third period began with an early faceoff win for Emme Nelson. The Blugolds' offensive efforts were evident, with multiple shots by Quinn Hartmetz and Lucy Peterson, among others, being saved by Pipers goaltender Kendra Nordick. Both teams had opportunities on power plays, with Hamline's Morgan Wohlers serving a two-minute penalty for hooking at 3:04 and Sadie Long penalized for high-sticking at 5:41, followed by Ava Bullert's elbowing penalty at 11:36. Despite the persistent offensive attempts by the Blugolds, including a total of six shots saved by Nordick, neither team managed to alter the score, with Hamline securing a 6-0 thrashing.

W ?? | Scenes ?? from today's 6-0 road thrashing of No. 11 Blugolds. ?? pic.twitter.com/TgtubyAvgt

— Hamline Athletics (@HUPipers) January 7, 2025

Abigail Chamernick led the Pipers with a notable plus-minus of +3, highlighting her effective play on the ice. Marissa Fehr, Morgan Wohlers, and Emme Nelson each contributed offensively, with Fehr and Wohlers scoring one goal apiece, while Nelson accumulated two points through one goal and one assist. Haley Eder-Zdechlik made a significant impact by scoring two goals. Additionally, Cailey McLaughlin provided a clutch performance, netting a game-winning goal and tallying one other goal. Kendra Nordick was a key defensive player, recording 27 saves in her start between the pipes. 

Sam Bandholz stood out for the Blugolds with a faceoff win percentage of 70, successfully winning 12 out of 17 attempts. This efficiency at the circle provided a strategic advantage for the team. Keira Bolt led the team in shots, registering four shots on goal, which indicated her aggressive offensive presence on the ice. Meanwhile, Sadie Long also contributed in the offensive zone with four shots, matching Bolt's output. Kaia Hollingsworth made five saves over the first 33:52 in net for the Blugolds before Alexa Backmann stopped four shots over the final 26:08. 

Eau Claire out shot Hamline 27-15.

The Pipers will host St. Norbert at TRIA Rink on Friday, January 10 at 6 p.m.