Men's Hockey 1/28/06 -- St. Thomas 4, Augsburg 2

BOXSCORE

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. (1/28/06) -- Senior defenseman John Bottoms had two goals and one assist as the No. 8-ranked University of St. Thomas scored a 4-2 victory over visiting Augsburg College in Saturday night's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's hockey game at the St. Thomas Arena in Mendota Heights.

The first-place Tommies (11-6 overall, 8-0 MIAC) have won 14 consecutive games vs. conference foes dating back to February 2005. The Toms maintained their one-game conference lead as second-place Gustavus (7-1) edged St. Olaf in overtime, 4-3. Defending champion St. John's (6-2-2 MIAC) tied Bethel 5-5 Saturday at home after a 6-6 road tie on Friday. The Johnnies fell three games back on the loss column.

Augsburg is now 6-10-3 overall, 2-5-3 in MIAC play, dropping its fifth straight game and sixth in its last seven starts.

UST senior Adam Meyer scored his first goal of the season with 12:51 remaining, assisted by Nick Nelson, to break a 2-2 tie. Senior Dan Krmpotich made it 4-2 as he took a pass from Bottoms, skated inside and past the goalie and scored an insurance tally with a goal with 6:16 left.

UST goalie Treye Kettwick stopped 23 of 25 shots to take the win for the second night in a row.

Auggie freshman Andy Kent (Fr., Lakeville, Minn.) made his first collegiate start and stopped 32 of 36 shots.

Critter Nagurski * (Jr., International Falls, Minn.) scored the lone goal of period one to put Augsburg ahead 1-0. Bottoms scored two power-play goals in the second period, the latter a 5-on-3 goal. The Auggies tied the game 52 seconds into the final period on Chad Georgell's (Jr., North Pole, Alaska/Fairbanks Lathrop HS) 5-on-3 goal. But Meyer and Krmpotich connected in the final 13 minutes to lift the Tommies.

St. Thomas plays Thursday at St. John's and hosts the Johnnies on Friday. Augsburg has next weekend off and returns to action Feb. 10-11 with a series against St. John's.