Men's Hockey 1/5/08 -- Augsburg 7, Wisconsin-Eau Claire 3
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MINNEAPOLIS (1/5/08) -- Chris Johnson (SO, Verona, Wis./Madison Memorial HS) collected his second collegiate hat trick with a three-goal, one-assist night, while teammates Jim Jensen (FY, Plymouth, Minn./Osseo HS) and Cory Ellertson (FY, Albert Lea, Minn.) had two-goal nights each, as Augsburg College claimed its first victory of the season with a 7-3 triumph over the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in a nonconference men's hockey game on Saturday night at the Augsburg Ice Arena.
Jensen added two assists for a four-point night for Augsburg, which snapped a 12-game winless streak to start the season, improving to 1-10-2 overall. Ten different Auggies figured in the scoring.
Wisconsin-Eau Claire (7-8-0 overall) cut the lead to 4-3 at the 7:07 mark of the third period, but the Auggies clinched the victory with three goals in the final 3:52 of play, including two goals in an eight-second span.
Johnson completed his hat trick with a goal from Jensen at the 16:08 mark, and Jensen followed eight seconds later with a goal from Ben Bradbury (JR, Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey Collegiate HS) and Kurt Hogard (JR, Thunder Bay, Ontario/St. Ignatius HS). Ellertson capped the scoring with a goal at the 19:38 mark from Kellen Chamblee (JR, Falcon Heights, Minn./Roseville HS and Brett Way (JR, Grand Ledge, Mich.).
Augsburg built a 3-1 lead after two periods, as Jensen opened the scoring with a goal from Johnson and Chris Kopelke (SO, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) just 2:19 into the game, and Johnson scored his first goal of the game, a power-play tally from Way and Jensen, at the 10:03 mark. After D.J. Clark (SO, Blaine, Minn.) scored for the Blugolds from Bryan Plaszcz (SO, Apple Valley, Minn.) and Ross Janecyk (FY, Grand Rapids, Minn.) at the 11:43 mark of the second period, the Auggies took their 3-1 lead on Ellertson's shorthanded goal from Chamblee at the 18:41 mark.
Augsburg took a 4-1 lead at the 2:05 mark of the third frame, as Johnson scored a power-play goal from Dan Leopold (SR, Afton, Minn./Stillwater HS) and Dan Carlson (SR, Roseville, Minn.), but the Blugolds scored twice in a 2:55 span to cut the lead to 4-3, as Janecyk scored from Ben Bosworth (JR, Hudson, Wis.) and John Kearns (FY, Park Ridge, Ill.) at the 4:12 mark, and Sam Bauler (JR, Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview HS) scored from Nichols Kuqali (SO, Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon HS) at the 7:07 mark.
Wisconsin-Eau Claire outshot Augsburg by a 32-28 margin, including a 27-16 advantage in the final two periods. Andrew Kent (JR, Lakeville, Minn.) claimed 29 saves in goal for the Auggies, while Mike Gatzke (SR, White Bear Lake, Minn./Hill-Murray HS), making his first start of the season for the Blugolds, collected 21 saves.
The teams will play again in nonconference action next Friday (1/11) at 7:05 p.m. at the Hobbs Ice Center in Eau Claire, Wis.
