BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS -- Mario Mjelleli (JR, Faribault, Minn./Shattuck-St. Mary's HS) scored two goals, including the game-tying goal with 57 seconds left in regulation time, and Nick Guran (SO, McHenry, Ill./McHenry East HS) scored the game-winning goal at the 9:40 mark of the second overtime, as Augsburg College claimed a 3-2 win over visiting St. Olaf College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's hockey playoff first-round game on Friday night at the Augsburg Ice Arena.

With the victory, Augsburg (16-9-1 overall) advances to face MIAC regular-season champion Gustavus (18-5-2 overall) in the conference playoff semifinals on Saturday (2/27) at 7:05 p.m. in St. Peter. The winner will face the winner of Saturday's other semifinal between St. Thomas and Hamline in next Wednesday's (3/3) championship game, with the conference playoff titlist receiving the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national tournament.

Trailing 2-1, Augsburg pulled its goalie with 1:14 left in regulation time, and 17 seconds later, Mjelleli scored his second goal of the game, an extra attacker goal assisted by Cory Ellertson (JR, Albert Lea, Minn.).

After a scoreless overtime-and-a-half, Augsburg earned a power-play on a St. Olaf (12-10-4 overall) penalty, and 30 seconds later, Guran scored his team-leading 18th goal of the season, putting home a rebound off a David Hines (SO, Sartell, Minn./St. Cloud Tech HS) shot. Joel Sauer (JR, Madison, Wis./Memorial HS) had the other assist on Guran's goal.

Augsburg outshot St. Olaf by a 50-41 margin, with goalie Justin Lochner (FY, Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) collecting 39 saves for the win. St. Olaf goalie Ben Leis (SO, Duluth, Minn.) had 47 saves in a losing effort.

The Oles opened the scoring at the 11:23 mark of the first period, as Derek Grogan (SO, Eagan, Minn.) scored from Isak Tranvik (JR, Robbinsdale, Minn.) and Britton Smith (SO, Burnsville, Minn.). Augsburg tied the game 5:17 later, as Mjelleli scored his first goal of the game, assisted by Jim Jensen (JR, Plymouth, Minn./Osseo HS) and Chris Johnson (SR, Verona, Wis./Madison Memorial HS).

St. Olaf took the lead just 12 seconds into the second period, as Ben Umhoefer (SR, Marshfield, Wis./Shattuck-St. Mary's HS) scored from Thor Josefson (SR, Bemidji, Minn.) and Charlie Raskob (SO, Hastings, Minn./Holy Angels HS), giving the Oles an advantage they would maintain until the final minute of regulation time.

Augsburg is in its third MIAC playoff tournament in the last four seasons under head coach Chris Brown, and its second straight playoff appearance. Augsburg's 16 wins this season are its most since the 2002-03 season (17-9-0).