The Wildcats led 1-0 at the end of the first period thanks to a goal by Tye Kusilek, but Chippewa Falls scored three times in the second period and four more in the third to leave town with a 7-1 victory.
River Falls struck first in its Big Rivers Conference matchup against fourth-ranked Chippewa Falls Saturday, Jan. 2, at Wildcat Centre, but it was all Cardinals after that.