2019-20 CCM/AHCA WOMEN'S HOCKEY DIVISION III ALL-AMERICA RELEASE

MINNEAPOLIS -- For the second straight year, Augsburg University women's hockey defender Nikki Nightengale (SR, Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) was named to the CCM Hockey/American Hockey Coaches Association Division III All-America Team, repeating as a second-team West Region honoree, it was announced on Thursday.

Nightengale is the first Auggie to ever receive multiple AHCA All-American honors, and it marks the fifth time an Augsburg women's hockey player selected to the AHCA's All-American squad since the coaches organization began awards for women's hockey in 2000. Annie Annunziato '04 was named to the squad in 2003-04, Lauren Chezick '05 was named to the squad in the 2002-03 season, and Angie Rieger '01 was an honoree in 1999-2000. Augsburg has now had 11 women's hockey All-Americans honored by various organizations since the sport began at the university in 1995.

Earlier this month, Nightengale joined a group of six Augsburg women's hockey players to ever earn All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors three or more years, when she was named to the conference elite squad for the third time. In addition to her AHCA All-America honor last year, Nightengale was also named to the All-USCHO Division III Team as a third-team defender.

Thirteen West Region players were named to two All-America squads -- six on the first team and seven on the second team, joining 12 players on two East Region squads for a total of 25 All-Americans.

For the second straight year, Nightengale was one of the best scoring defenders in the MIAC, finishing with four goals and a team-best-tying 14 assists for 18 points. She was tied for second in points by defenders in the MIAC this season, and second in defender assists. Her assist total was tied for seventh-most among all MIAC players. She had a goal or assist in 14 of her 27 games this season, with two multi-point games. An American Hockey Coaches Association Division III second-team All-American and All-USCHO third-team honoree last season, she finished her 104-game career with 22 goals and 35 assists for 57 points, tied for 14th in school history in career points, tied for 19th in goals and 10th in assists.

Under 10th-year head coach Michelle McAteer, Augsburg earned its fifth straight berth in the MIAC postseason playoffs, finishing the season 21-6-0 overall, 15-3-0 in MIAC play. The 21 wins tied the 1999-2000 team (21-7-1) for the most wins in a single season, against all varsity opponents, in program history, while the 15 MIAC wins were a program record. Augsburg reached the MIAC playoff title game for the second time in the last four years.

The CCM Hockey/AHCA All-American Hockey Teams are sponsored by CCM Hockey and chosen by members of the American Hockey Coaches Association. CCM is the legendary hockey brand dedicated to the endless pursuit of performance by delivering game-changing, head-to-toe innovative hockey equipment to players worldwide.