Men's Ice Hockey

UW-Stout Claims Men’s Ice Hockey Championship

**UW-Stout Sports Information contributed to this recap.

MENOMONIE, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stout claimed the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men’s ice hockey regular-season championship with a 3-2 victory over UW-Stout at Fanetti Community Center on Feb. 14.
 
It is the second regular-season title in program history for the Blue Devils, who won their previous championship in 2011. UW-Stout (19-5-1 overall, 12-2-1 WIAC) also secured the No. 1 seed for the WIAC Tournament/Commissioner’s Cup (presented by Culver’s) that will begin Feb. 21 with a first round game between No. 5 seed UW-Stevens Point and No. 4 seed UW-Superior. The Blue Devils will host the UW-Stevens Point/UW-Superior winner in a semifinal contest on Feb. 28. No. 3 seed UW-River Falls will travel to No. 2 seed UW-Eau Claire in the other semifinal. The two semifinal winners will meet in the championship contest on March 7 at the highest remaining seed and the winner receiving an automatic NCAA bid.
 
UW-Stout’s 19 victories are the most for the program since the 2008-09 squad produced 23 enroute to the Frozen Four.
 
UW-Eau Claire (16-7-2, 11-3-1 WIAC) controlled the first 10 minutes and recorded the first nine shots on goal. The Blugolds broke through at 4:26 of the first period when Dayne Hoyord gave UW-Eau Claire a 1-0 lead.  
 
Nicolas Pigeon tied the game at 19:04 of the first period on an assist from Hayden Stocks. At 4:08 of the second period, UW-Stout’s Sam Kroon gave the Blue Devils a 2-1 when he buried the puck in the back of the net after it bounced loose in the blue paint.
 
The eventual game-winner came late in the second at 18:13. Brendan Boyce carried the puck into the offensive zone along the boards and found Hayden Stocks open in the slot. Stocks found the back of the net for his 14th goal of the season, extending the lead to 3-1. UW-Eau Claire quickly responded at 19:03 of the second, when Hoyord scored his second of the night.
 
Sebastian Monaco made 15 of his 37 saves in the third period to preserve the lead.
 
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