BLAINE, Minn. -- With 15 of the 18 skaters figuring in the scoring, the Augsburg University men's hockey team remained unbeaten with a 7-4 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over Bethel University on Friday evening.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 7, Bethel 4
LOCATION: Schwan SuperRink, Blaine, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 5-0-0 overall (1-0-0 MIAC), Bethel 0-6-0 overall (0-2-0 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Seven different players scored goals for Augsburg and 15 players figured in the scoring in the Auggies' MIAC-opener. Nate Flynn (SR, Hastings, Minn./Hastings HS) had a goal and two assists, and Luke Dietsch (JR, St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) and Alex Rodriguez (JR, Miami, Fla./Shattuck-St. Mary's (Minn.) HS) had a goal and assist each -- the only three players to have multi-point nights for the Auggies.
• The Auggies scored twice in a 20-second span just 2:56 into the game, eventually building a 5-0 lead 8:50 into the second period. Augsburg outshot the Royals by a 14-8 margin in the first period, en route to a 39-30 margin in the game.
• Rodriguez, Eli May (SR, Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS), Flynn and Jake Larson (JR, St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS) all scored first-period goals for the Auggies.
• After starting the season 3-for-17 on the power play, Augsburg scored three power-play goals in seven opportunities on Friday -- the Auggies' final three goals of the game. Dietsch scored at the 8:50 mark of the second period, Eric Brenk (JR, Moorhead, Minn./Moorhead HS) scored in the final minute of the second period, and John O'Connor (SO, Moorhead, Minn./Moorhead HS) notched his first career goal in his 28th collegiate game, scoring at the 17:50 mark of the final period. Augsburg's Billy Wagner (SR, Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) also notched his first collegiate point, assisting on a first-period goal.
• Nick Schmit (JR, Fargo, N.D./Fargo North HS) improved to 5-0-0 on the season with a 26-save effort in goal.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• In outscoring its opponents by a 23-10 margin in its first five games, 19 of the 21 skaters who have seen game action for Augsburg have either a goal or an assist, with 15 different players scoring goals.
• Augsburg has scored three or more goals in each of its five games. Augsburg's 4.60 goals per-game average is tied for sixth-best among all NCAA Division III teams.
• Augsburg is ranked No. 4 in the latest USCHO.com Division III national poll, and No. 10 in the D3hockey.com national poll.

FOR THE FOES
• The Royals scored four of the final six goals of the game, with Michael Piehler scoring two goals with an assist. Peter Barral and Johan Kling also scored for Bethel, Jackson Purvis had three assists and Tyler Mros had two assists.
• Joe Sheppard had 10 saves in the first period in goal for Bethel, with Aaron Furlano collecting 22 saves in the second and third periods.

UP NEXT
• The teams complete the MIAC series on Saturday (11/11) at 7 p.m. in Augsburg's home-opener at Ed Saugestad Rink.