BOXSCORE
BLAINE, Minn. --
Trevor Doden (SO, Red Wing, Minn.) scored two goals, including the go-ahead goal early in the second period, as the Augsburg College men's hockey team clinched a berth in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoffs with a 3-2 win over Bethel University on Saturday night at the Schwan SuperRink.
Doden scored an unassisted goal at the 7:16 mark of the first period, then added the eventual game-winner at the 3:25 mark of the third period, lifting Augsburg to the No. 4 spot in the postseason playoff seedings.
With a 15-9-1 overall record and 8-7-1 MIAC mark, Augsburg will host No. 5-seed St. Olaf (12-9-4 overall, 6-6-4 MIAC) in the conference tournament "play-in" game, tentatively scheduled for next Friday (2/26) at the Augsburg Ice Arena at a time to be determined. Bethel finishes 10-15-0 overall, 8-8-0 MIAC, but was edged on tiebreaker criteria by St. Olaf for the final playoff spot.
Augsburg qualified for the conference postseason playoffs for the second straight season and third in the last four years under head coach
Chris Brown. Augsburg's 15 wins are its most since the 2002-03 season (17-9-0 overall).
Augsburg took a 2-0 lead against the Royals. After Doden's unassisted goal,
Mario Mjelleli (JR, Faribault, Minn./Shattuck-St. Mary's HS) scored a power-play goal from
Tyler Antony (SR, Buffalo, Minn.) and
Kris Reinthaler (FY, Graz, Austria/Spring Creek Academy (Texas) HS) at the 12:39 mark of the opening frame.
Bethel cut into the lead at the 15:36 mark of the first period, as Jon Crouse scored from Christian Fogerty. The Royals tied the game at 2-2 at the 9:42 mark of the second period, as Lukas Jorgensen scored from Corey Grandner and Chaz Gerads.
Augsburg's game-winner came on Doden's sixth goal of the season, assisted by Antony and
David Hines (SO, Sartell, Minn./St. Cloud Tech HS).
Augsburg outshot Bethel by a 25-24 margin, with
Justin Lochner (FY, Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) claiming 22 saves for the win in goal. Bethel goalie Aaron Damjanovich had 22 saves.
