MINNEAPOLIS -- Rallying back from a second-period deficit with four straight goals, the Augsburg University men's hockey team clinched its 10th Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season championship, and second in the last four seasons, with a 4-1 win over Concordia College-Moorhead on Friday evening at Ed Saugestad Rink.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 4, Concordia-Moorhead 1
LOCATION: Ed Saugestad Rink, Minneapolis, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 18-3-3 overall (12-1-2 MIAC), Concordia 13-8-3 overall (9-4-2 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• After surrendering a shorthanded goal at the 12:06 mark of the second period, the Auggies scored four unanswered goals to claim the win, clinching the regular-season title and top seed in the upcoming five-team MIAC postseason playoffs with 38 league points, with one game remaining in the regular season.
• Augsburg peppered Concordia with shots throughout the game, holding a 38-17 shots on-goal advantage, including a 26-8 advantage in the first two periods of play. But the Auggies couldn't find the back of the net until midway through the game, then scored three goals on 12 shots in the third period, including two empty-net goals in the final minute of play.
• Just 1:32 after the Cobber goal, Charlie Parker (SO, Verona, Wis./Verona HS) tied the game with his fourth goal of the season, assisted by Matt Nehls (SO, Boulder, Colo./D.C. West HS).
• The Auggies went ahead at the 12:11 mark of the third period, when Eric Brenk (SR, Moorhead, Minn./Moorhead HS) scored his sixth goal of the season, assisted by Austin Dollimer (FY, Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount HS) and John O'Connor (JR, Moorhead, Minn./Moorhead HS).
• Augsburg capped the win with two empty-net goals -- Nehls scoring from Gunnar Goodmanson (SO, Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS) and Alex Rodriguez (SR, Miami, Fla./Shattuck-St. Mary's (Minn.) HS) at the 19:00 mark, and Jake Larson (SR, St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS) on an unassisted shot with 13 seconds left.
• Nick Schmit (SR, Fargo, Minn./Fargo North HS) had 16 saves in goal to pick up the win, improving to 13-2-3 on the season.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Augsburg claimed its 10th MIAC regular-season title, having previously claimed crowns in 1927-28, 1976-77 (co-champions with Gustavus), 1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81 (co-champions with Concordia), 1981-82, 1997-98 (co-champions with St. Thomas) and 2015-16.
• Augsburg is ranked No. 6 in the latest D3hockey.com Division III national poll and No. 7 in the latest USCHO.com Division III national poll.
• Augsburg has outscored its opponents by a 91-51 margin this season, leading the MIAC's overall statistics in both goals scored and fewest goals allowed. Among NCAA Division III teams nationally, Augsburg ranks 15th in scoring offense (3.79 goals per-game) and 14th in scoring defense (2.12 goals allowed per-game).
• Seven Augsburg players have 10 or more assists this season, including Rodriguez with 15 and O'Connor with 13. Rodriguez's 33 points (18 goals, 15 assists) are second-most among MIAC players.

FOR THE FOES
• Jake Ellingson scored a shorthanded goal for Concordia at the 12:06 mark of the second period, assisted by Quinn Fuchs.
• Jacob Stephan had 34 saves in goal for the Cobbers.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg and Concordia complete the regular season on Saturday (2/16) at 2 p.m. at Ed Saugestad Rink.