MINNEAPOLIS --
Ashley St. Aubin (SO, Burnsville, Minn./Burnsville HS) scored the game-winning goal 45 seconds into the second overtime, giving the Augsburg University women's soccer team its second Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season championship in a 2-1 win over St. Olaf College on Saturday evening at Edor Nelson Field.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 2, St. Olaf 1 (2OT)
LOCATION: Edor Nelson Field, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 12-3-2 overall (8-1-2 MIAC), St. Olaf 9-7-2 overall (6-3-2 MIAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
• In the opening minute of the second overtime, St. Aubin took a pass from
Ciara Gregory (SO, Cottage Grove, Minn./Park HS) and sent a blast from 25 yards out on the left side for the game-winning goal. The goal was
her MIAC-leading 16th of the season, giving her a conference-best 36 points.
• The Auggies took the lead in the first half, when Jessy Wiskofske (JR, Wausau, Wis./Wausau West HS) scored her fifth goal of the season in the 38th minute. A corner kick by St. Aubin was pushed to the center of the box, and Wiskofske sent a one-timer into the net.
• After Augsburg outshot the Oles by a 10-6 margin in the first half, the Oles took over the momentum in the second half, outshooting the Auggies by an 8-3 margin and tying the game with a goal in the 56th minute. But Augsburg took control again in overtime, outshooting St. Olaf by a 6-1 margin in the extra time.
• For the 10th time this season, Augsburg split its goalkeepers in the game, with
Emily Chapman (SO, Elburn, Ill./Kaneland HS) recording one save in the first half, and
Marissa Guillou (SR, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) recording three saves in the second half and overtime.
• St. Aubin had nine shots, including five on-goal, in the game, while Gregory had three shots.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• With the win, Augsburg finished the regular season with 26 points, four clear of second-place St. Thomas' 22 and six clear of St. Olaf's 20. Augsburg claimed its second MIAC regular-season title in a four-season span, after winning the regular-season and playoff titles in 2014. The Auggies also won the MIAC playoff title last season.
• Augsburg is the top seed in the six-team MIAC postseason playoffs, and will host a semifinal game on Wednesday (11/1) at 7 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field (NOTE TIME CHANGE FROM ORIGINAL STORY). The Auggies will face the winner of Tuesday's (10/31) quarterfinal game between No. 5-seed St. Catherine (7-6-3 overall, 5-3-3 MIAC) and No. 4-seed Saint Benedict (9-3-3 overall, 5-3-3 MIAC). The other semifinal will pit No. 2-seed St. Thomas (12-3-2 overall, 7-3-1 MIAC) against the winner of the other quarterfinal, pitting No. 3-seed St. Olaf and No. 6-seed Gustavus (9-5-3 overall, 5-4-2 MIAC). The semifinal winners will meet next Saturday (11/4) at 1 p.m. at the highest remaining seed, with the winner getting the MIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national playoffs.
• St. Aubin's 16 goals, tying her MIAC-leading total of 16 goals last season, are tied for the third-most in a single season in school history. Her 36 points (16 goals, 4 assists) are tied for fifth-most in a single season in school history.
FOR THE FOES
• Emily Helle tied the game for the Oles from Abby Stets in the 56th minute, popping the ball over Guillou from just inside the six-yard box.
• Brynne Davis had nine saves in goal for St. Olaf.
QUOTES FROM AUGSBURG HEAD COACH MIKE NAVARRE
• "First, congratulations to St. Olaf on its outstanding regular season. (Coach) Rachael Sushner has done a great job in only her second season. St. Olaf pushed us to the brink and were a formidable opponent tonight. We have a young team, but they believed in themselves and were determined to be forces of fortune. Wow, so proud to be MIAC champions. I can't say enough about the players, coaches, training staff and parents in the program, the support we have is excellent. Now we start the postseason. It is a deep league, so any team we face will present a tough challenge. We will celebrate tonight and then re-group and say 'Yes to a new adventure'."