BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS -- Jess Olson (SR, Delano, Minn./Wayzata HS) had a goal and an assist, and goalie Toni Menth (SR, Buffalo, Minn.) collected 44 saves in goal, as Augsburg College claimed a 4-3 victory over the University of St. Thomas in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's hockey game on Saturday afternoon at the Augsburg Ice Arena.

Katie Lamirande (FY, Cloquet, Minn.) scored the eventual game-winning goal for Augsburg (1-6-2 overall, 1-2-2 MIAC) on a roughly 150-foot shot -- an attempt to dump the puck down the ice for a line change from the opposite end of the rink -- that snuck under the goalie's pads at the 5:46 mark of the third period, giving Augsburg a 4-2 lead at the time. It was her first collegiate goal.

St. Thomas (4-4-2 overall, 3-1-1 MIAC), ranked No. 10 in the latest U.S. College Hockey Online Division III national poll, cut the lead to a goal with 6:59 left to play, but could not tie the game in the closing minutes, despite outshooting the Auggies by a 47-18 margin in the game.

In gaining its first victory of the season, Augsburg snapped a six-game losing streak to the Tommies, claiming its first win over the Tommies since a 3-2 triumph on Jan. 20, 2007 at St. Thomas. It was just the Auggies' second victory over St. Thomas in the team's last 11 meetings, dating to the 2004-05 season.

Kelley Fallen (JR, Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) scored two goals for St. Thomas, both goals coming on assists from Kristen Grossman (JR, Golden Valley, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) and Kara Ledel (SR, Shakopee, Minn.).

After Fallen put the Tommies on the board with her first goal of the game at the 11:39 mark of the first period, Augsburg tied the game in the final minute of the opening stanza, as Kali Holst (SO, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) scored on a scramble in front of the net, with assists going to Olson and Devon Ellena (FY, Wales, Wis./Kettle Moraine HS).

Fallen gave St. Thomas the lead back with a goal at the 8:16 mark of the second period, but Augsburg tied the game again at the 14:47 mark, as Olson scored from Holst. Augsburg took the lead 20 seconds into the third period, as Sara Toft (SR, Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson HS) scored her team-leading third goal of the season, assisted by Olson.

Lamirande's unlikely goal gave the Auggies a 4-2 lead at the 5:46 mark of the third frame, and St. Thomas trimmed the lead at the 13:01 mark, as Korrine O'Conner (FY, New Ulm, Minn.) scored from Jenny Schnaible (SR, Burnsville, Minn.) and Amy Zimniewicz (JR, River Falls, Wis./Cretin-Derham Hall HS).

Menth recorded 44 saves in goal, including 18 in the third period. It marked the sixth time in her nine games this season that she has had 35-plus saves.

Lauren Bradel (SR, Bemidji, Minn.) had 11 saves in goal for the Tommies before being relieved by Nicole Muske (SO, Ramsey, Minn./Anoka HS) early in the third period. Muske had three saves.

The teams complete the MIAC series on Sunday (12/13) at 2 p.m. at the St. Thomas Arena in Mendota Heights, Minn.