BOXSCORE MINNEAPOLIS -- Carl Krieger (SO, Oakdale, Minn./Tartan HS) scored a goal for Augsburg College in regulation time, then provided the winning goal in a 2-1, five-round shootout, as the Auggies and Bethel University played the first-ever regular-season shootout in NCAA Division III and Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's hockey on Friday evening at Ed Saugestad Rink.

The teams played to a 3-3 tie in overtime, and the game will officially count as a tie for both teams. However, the MIAC has instituted a shootout format for conference regular-season games, in which the winner of the shootout gains an extra point in the league standings -- becoming the first NCAA Division III conference to institute the shootout format for men's hockey. Augsburg (2-0-1 overall, 0-0-1 MIAC) scored a 2-1 victory in five shootout rounds over Bethel (0-2-1 overall, 0-0-1 MIAC).

Ben McClellan (JR, Cottage Grove, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) scored for the Auggies in the second round of the shootout, but Bethel tied the shootout at 1-1 in the same round, with Tyler Sorensen (SR, Madison, Wis./Edgewood HS) scoring for Bethel. The teams exchanged misses in the next round, and the shootout went to extra rounds. Krieger scored in the fifth shootout round, and Auggie goalie John Bretzman (JR, Mendota Heights, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran HS) claimed a save on Bethel's fifth attempt, giving the Auggies the extra conference point.

Augsburg claimed a 43-24 shots-on-goal advantage in the game. Bretzman collected 21 saves in goal for the Auggies, while Steven Bolton (SO, Las Vegas, Nev./Faith Lutheran HS) had 40 saves for Bethel.

The Royals struck first, with Colin Mayer (SR, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) scoring the first two goals of the game, a power-play marker from Jack McFarlane (SO, Cloquet, Minn.) at the 14:05 mark of the first period, and a goal from Josh Freitas (SO, Sandy Hook, Conn./Millbrook School) and Philip Cameron (FY, Hornepayne, Ontario/Penticton Secondary) at the 16:32 mark of the second period.

But the Auggies struck back 25 seconds after Mayer's second goal, with Krieger scoring from Niklas Almstrom (SR, Medina, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's HS) and Drew Allen (SO, Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley HS). The Auggies tied the game 19 seconds into the third period, when Rory Vesel (FY, Rochester, Minn./Lourdes HS) scored his first collegiate goal, assisted by Mack Ohnsted (SO, Vernon Hills, Ill./Adali E. Stevenson HS) and Nicholas Widing (JR, Somerset, Wis./Hill-Murray HS).

The Royals took the lead back on the power play, with Mitch Hughes (SO, Laguna Niguel, Calif./Dana Hills HS) scoring from E.J. Gann (JR, Mountainview, Calif./Edison HS) and Brock Raffaele (SO, Cadillac, Mich./Gilmour Academy HS). But Augsburg tied the game at the 18:24 mark of the final frame, as Widing scored his second goal of the season, an unassisted tally.

The teams complete the MIAC series on Saturday (11/9) at 7 p.m. at the Schwan SuperRink in Blaine, Minn.