MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Scoring three goals in an 8:15 span in the opening 24 minutes of play, Gabriela Encarnacion (SR, Bel Air, Md./Bel Air HS) provided all the scoring Augsburg University would need to secure a first-round bye in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's soccer playoffs in a 3-0 win at Concordia College-Moorhead on Wednesday afternoon.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 3, Concordia-Moorhead 0
LOCATION: Jake Christiansen Athletic Complex, Moorhead, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 12-3-1 overall (8-1-1 MIAC), Concordia 9-8-0 overall (2-8-0 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Encarnacion opened the scoring with a goal from Ashley St. Aubin (SR, Burnsville, Minn./Burnsville HS) at the 15:00 mark of the game, then followed it up 38 seconds later with an unassisted goal.
• Her third goal came at the 23:15 mark, on a feed from Jen Masello (SO, Darien, Ill./Downers Grove South HS). She had a chance to score a fourth goal on a penalty kick attempt two minutes later, but her shot was saved by the Concordia goalkeeper.
• Augsburg outshot Concordia by a 9-1 margin in the first half, en route to a 13-6 advantage in the game. Encarnacion had four shots, while St. Aubin had three shots.
• Augsburg goalkeeper Emily Chapman (SR, Elburn, Ill./Kaneland HS) had two saves to record her sixth shutout of the season and 20th of her career.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• The hat trick, the first of Encarnacion's collegiate career, marked her third multi-goal game in her three seasons as an Auggie. She now has 18 goals and nine assists for 45 points in her three Augsburg seasons (55 games), after playing her first year at St. Mary's (Md.).
• With the victory, Augsburg remains tied with St. Thomas for first place in the MIAC standings, as each have 25 league points entering the final games of the regular season on Saturday (11/2). Augsburg will host Hamline, while St. Thomas will host Saint Mary's. Augsburg could claim an MIAC regular-season title for the third time in program history, having previously won crowns in 2014 and 2017.
• Augsburg has clinched a first-round bye in the six-team MIAC playoffs, and will host a semifinal game on Wednesday (11/6) at 2 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field. Augsburg will either be the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Augsburg will appear in its 11th MIAC playoffs since 2004, its sixth in a row and seventh in the last eight years.

FOR THE FOES
• Kalli Baarstad had four shots for Concordia.
• Erin Larsen had six saves in goal for the Auggies.

QUOTE FROM AUGSBURG COACH MIKE NAVARRE
• "Gabby put on a show, netting three goals in the first half. We used that as an opportunity to rest some players in the second half, and provide others with valuable minutes. The team is hungry and excited about the opportunity we have before us on Saturday."

UP NEXT
• Augsburg hosts Hamline on Saturday (11/2) at 3:30 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field.
• Concordia plays at St. Olaf on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.