Men's Hockey 11/5/04 -- Augsburg 3, Wisconsin-River Falls 3 (OT)

BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (11/5/04) -- Garrett Larson (Sr., Park River, N.D.) scored twice in the final eight minutes of play, including a power-play goal with 1:56 remaining in the third period, rallying the University of Wisconsin-River Falls from a 3-1 deficit to force overtime in a 3-3 tie with host Augsburg College in a nonconference men's hockey game Friday night at the Augsburg Ice Arena.

Augsburg outshot Wisconsin-River Falls by a 3-2 margin in the extra session, taking advantage of a power play early in the overtime, but could not get the puck in the net, forcing the draw.

Wisconsin-River Falls, ranked No. 4 in the latest U.S. College Hockey Online Division III national poll, is now 2-0-1 on the season. It was the first game of the year for Augsburg, now 0-0-1.

After a scoreless first period, the Auggies jumped on the board with three goals, despite being outshot 11-8 in the period. Jason Fleck (Fr., Camrose, Alberta/Camrose Composite HS) scored his first collegiate goal at the 1:15 mark, finishing a 2-on-1 break with a pop over the glove of Falcon goalie Andy Scanlon (Jr., Apple Valley, Minn.).

At the 7:13 mark, Augsburg's top line of Greg May (So., Burnsville, Minn.), Critter Nagurski (So., International Falls, Minn.) and Aaron Johnson (So., Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) completed an odd-man rush with a goal, as May took the puck off a River Falls player and scored from the left slot.

The Falcons' Tyler Dahl (Fr., Burnsville, Minn.) scored his first collegiate goal on a left-side, top-shelf drive at the 12:18 mark of the second period, scoring from Marc-Andre Lalande (Sr., Deux-Montagnes, Quebec) and Jason Usher (Fr., Eden Prairie, Minn.).

Augsburg took a two-goal advantage again in the final minute of the second period, as Nagurski scored on a blast from the point after a steal off a neutral-zone draw.

Larson scored his first goal at the 12:58 mark of the third period, driving left for a slap shot in the slot. His second goal came on a drive on the power play at the 18:04 mark.

The Falcons outshot the Auggies by a 36-35 margin. Scanlon made 32 saves for Wisconsin-River Falls, while Tony Ciro (Jr., Spring Lake Park, Minn./Hill-Murray HS), a transfer from Bethel, made 33 saves in his Augsburg debut.

Both teams have nonconference games on Saturday (11/6) at 7 p.m., with Augsburg hosting Wisconsin-Stout at the Augsburg Ice Arena, and Wisconsin-River Falls hosting Concordia-Moorhead.