MINNEAPOLIS -- The Augsburg University men's hockey team saw its eight-game winning streak to open the season snapped by the University of St. Thomas in a 2-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference decision on Friday evening at Ed Saugestad Rink.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: St. Thomas 2, Augsburg 0
LOCATION: Ed Saugestad Rink, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 8-1-0 overall (4-1-0 MIAC), St. Thomas 4-3-1 overall (1-1-1 MIAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
• St. Thomas scored twice in the third period -- a power-play goal 45 seconds into the frame, and an empty-net goal with 1:03 left -- to hand Augsburg its first shutout loss in its last 70 games. Augsburg was last shut out on Feb. 6, 2015, a 5-0 home loss to Saint Mary's.
• In an evenly matched game between the last two MIAC regular-season champions, the 2015-16 champion Auggies outshot the 2016-17 champion Tommies by a 38-34 margin. The Tommies went 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Auggies were shut out in four power-play opportunities, including a five-minute major penalty in the first period.
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Nick Schmit (JR, Fargo, N.D./Fargo North HS) had 33 saves in goal for the Auggies, who entered the weekend ranked No. 3 in the USCHO.com Division III national poll and No. 4 in the D3hockey.com national poll.
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John O'Connor (SO, Moorhead, Minn./Moorhead HS) had seven shots on-goal for the Auggies, while
Alex Rodriguez (JR, Miami, Fla./Shattuck-St. Mary's (Minn.) HS) had five shots.
Max Pernhem (SR, Stockholm, Sweden/Dragonskolan) and
Chandler Madry (JR, Bakersfield, Calif./Fairbanks (Alaska) BEST HS) had four shots each.
FOR THE FOES
• St. Thomas took the lead 45 seconds into the third period, as Johnny Panvica scored a power-play goal from Brett Gravelle and Brian LeBlanc. The Tommies clinched the win with a Cullen Willox empty-net goal at the 18:57 mark.
• Benjamin Myers claimed the shutout victory in goal for the Tommies, stopping all 38 shots he faced.
UP NEXT
• The teams complete the MIAC series on Saturday (12/2) at 7 p.m. at the St. Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights, Minn.
