MINNEAPOLIS -- Eric Brenk (SO, Moorhead, Minn.) scored two goals, including the game-winning goal in the third period, lifting the Augsburg College men's hockey team to a 4-3 victory over Saint Mary's University in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game on Friday evening at Ed Saugestad Rink.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 4, Saint Mary's 3
LOCATION: Ed Saugestad Rink, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 13-3-2 overall (7-1-1 MIAC), Saint Mary's 10-8-2 overall (6-5-0 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg scored twice in the first 8:08 of play, but Saint Mary's tied the game, scoring twice in a 4:02 span later in the first period. The teams exchanged power-play goals in the second period, and Brenk gave the Auggies the lead to stay with a goal from Will Peterson (JR, Eagan, Minn.) and Andy Faust (JR, Stillwater, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) 4:30 into the final frame.
• Paul Soubry (SO, Winnipeg, Manitoba/St. Paul's HS) opened the scoring with a goal at the 4:11 mark of the first period, assisted by Chris Nuth (SR, Trabuco Canyon, Calif./Mission Viejo HS) and Dylan Meier (SR, Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista HS). Brenk gave the Auggies a 2-0 lead at the 8:08 mark, scoring from Nuth and Trevor Stewart (SR, Highlands Ranch, Colo./Eastmont HS).
• Lukas Gillett (SO, Rosemount, Minn.) gave the Auggies the lead with a power-play goal at the 6:31 mark of the second period, assisted by Rory Vesel (SR, Rochester, Minn./Lourdes HS) and Evan Hesse (JR, Monticello, Minn./Palmer (Alaska) HS).
• After being outshot by a 16-8 margin in the first period, the Auggies outshot the Cardinals by a 24-13 margin over the final two periods, for a 32-29 shots-on-goal advantage in the game. Brenk and Gillett had four shots each for the Auggies.
• Jordyn Kaufer (Sr, Stillwater, Minn.) improved to 6-2-1 in goal with a 26-save effort.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• With the win, Augsburg (23 MIAC points), the No. 11-ranked team in the USCHO and D3hockey.com Division III national polls, maintained its one-point lead in the MIAC standings over St. Thomas (22 points, 7-1-1 MIAC).
• Brenk now has eight goals on the season, tied for sixth-most among MIAC players in overall statistics.
• Vesel's 13 assists are tied for fourth-most among MIAC players, tied for second-most among MIAC defenders. His 14 points are tied for fourth-most among MIAC defenders.
• Augsburg has outscored its opponents by a 69-40 margin this season -- both the most goals scored by MIAC teams in overall statistics (3.83 per-game) and fewest goals allowed (2.22 per-game). Nineteen different Auggies have scored goals for the Auggies this season, and 22 different Auggies have recorded either a goal or assist -- with 11 different Auggies recording 10 or more points so far.

FOR THE FOES
• Kelvin Walz and Taylor Portner scored first-period goals for Saint Mary's, with Martin Gruse scoring a power-play goal in the second period.
• Aaron Davis had 28 saves in goal for the Cardinals.

UP NEXT
• The teams complete the MIAC series on Saturday (1/28) at 7 p.m. at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena in Winona, Minn.