St. Cloud, Minn. -- For the first time since the 2004-05 season, the Augsburg women's hockey team will compete in the MIAC postseason playoffs, clinching a berth in the five-team event with a 3-3, overtime tie with Saint Benedict on Friday evening at the Muncipal Athletic Complex.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 3, Saint Benedict 3 (OT)
LOCATION: Muncipal Athletic Complex, St. Cloud, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 12-9-3 overall (9-5-3 MIAC), Saint Benedict 7-14-3 overall (5-9-3 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Kayla Fuechtmann (SR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) put the Auggies in front with a goal from Abigail Dickinson (SR, Rochester Hills, Mich./Adams HS) 1:48 into the game. 
• Danielle Heitkamp (JR, Bismarck, N.D./Grand Rapids (Minn.) HS) gave the Auggies a 2-0 lead, scoring from Fuechtmann and Valerie Whichello (FY, Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge HS) at the 9:53 mark of the second period.
• Megan Johnson (FY, Madison, Wis./Memorial HS) scored a power-play goal from Ashley Kloncz (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) and Brenna Nakonechny (SR, Grand Forks, N.D./Red River HS) at the 9:22 mark of the third period.
• Augsburg outshot Saint Benedict by a 37-27 margin. Erika Allen (SR, Roseville, Minn.) recorded 24 saves in goal for the Auggies.
• Fuechtmann and Darby Lindgren (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Shattuck-St. Mary's HS) had seven shots on-goal each for the Auggies, while Callen Naasz (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South HS) had four shots.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Augsburg currently stands in fourth place in the MIAC standings with 21 points, and could finish anywhere from third to fifth, depending on the outcome of Saturday's (2/20) games. Should the Auggies finish fourth or fifth, they would play in a first-round playoff game on Thursday (2/25), but if they finish third, they would bypass the first-round game and play at the No. 2 playoff seed next Saturday (2/27).
• The Auggies qualified for the MIAC postseason playoffs for the fifth time in school history, and the first time since a three-year playoff run from 2002-03 to 2004-05. Augsburg won the inaugural MIAC playoff tournament in the 1999-2000 season.

FOR THE FOES
• Kylie Eklund scored two goals in the third period for the Blazers, forcing overtime. She scored an unassisted goal at the 12:23 mark, and scored from Allison Kirk and Hannah Esselman at the 16:03 mark.
• Brigette Miller scored a power-play goal from Esselman at the 5:23 mark of the third period.
• Dory Johnson had 34 saves in goal for Saint Benedict.

UP NEXT
• The teams complete the regular season on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Ed Saugestad Rink.