BOXSCORE MINNEAPOLIS -- Niklas Almstrom (SR, Medina, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's HS) scored two goals, and Erik Ordahl (SR, Rochester, Minn./Century HS) delivered the eventual game-winning goal in the third period, as Augsburg College rallied for a 3-2 win over St. Olaf College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's hockey game on Friday evening at Ed Saugestad Rink.

Trailing 2-1 entering the third period, Almstrom scored from Ben McClellan (JR, Cottage Grove, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) and Lucas Hendrickson (SO, Savage, Minn./Burnsville HS) to tie the game at the 2:19 mark, and Ordahl scored from Tom Kuhn (SO, Hastings, Minn.) at the 7:34 mark to give the Auggies the advantage.

Goalie John Bretzman (JR, Mendota Heights, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran HS) stopped all 11 shots he faced in the third period to preserve the victory for Augsburg (13-8-3 overall, 6-6-3 MIAC). He ended up with 28 saves in the win.

With the victory, Augsburg remains alive in the hunt for the final spot in the five-team MIAC playoffs. Augsburg must win in regulation on Saturday at 7 p.m. at St. Olaf (10-10-4 overall, 8-4-3 MIAC) to vault over idle Concordia-Moorhead (12-8-5 overall, 6-6-4 MIAC) in the conference points standings and claim the playoff berth.

Augsburg currently has 21 points in the MIAC standings, while Concordia has 23 points. Three points are awarded for a win in regulation, while two points are given for an overtime win or a shootout win. Should the Auggies tie the Cobbers with 23 points, the Cobbers would earn the fifth playoff spot, based on the Cobbers two shootout victories over the Auggies when the teams met Jan. 24-25.

Almstrom opened the scoring with a goal at the 2:05 mark of the first period, scoring from Rory Vesel (FY, Rochester, Minn./Lourdes HS) and Chris Student (SR, Edina, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's HS). The two-goal game was Almstrom's second in his last three games, and third in his Auggie career.

St. Olaf tied the game at the 6:17 mark of the second period, as Steven Sherman (FY, San Diego, Calif.) scored from Dan Cecka (SR, Woodbury, Minn.) and Matt Guerts (JR, Chugiak, Alaska), and took the lead at the 9:27 mark of the second period, when Peter Lindblad (SO, Glenwood, Minn.) scored from Sherman and Cecka.

St. Olaf outshot Augsburg by a 30-29 margin. Steve Papciak (JR, Des Plaines, Ill.) had 26 saves in goal for St. Olaf.