MINNEAPOLIS – The Augsburg University women's hockey team opened its season on Friday evening hosting top-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College, falling 5-1 in nonconference play to the defending national champions at Ed Saugestad Rink.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Gustavus 5, Augsburg 1
LOCATION: Ed Saugestad Rink, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 0-1-0 overall, Gustavus 1-0-0 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Gusties wasted no time in their season opener, scoring three goals in the first period and adding another in the second to take a 4-0 lead. The Auggies got on the board with their first and only goal of the night on the power play when Elizabeth Fagerlind (JR, Kasson, Minn./Kasson-Mantorville HS) buried a feed from Ella Olson (FY, Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS) for a second-period goal to cut the deficit to three. Julianna Teske (SR, Warroad, Minn./Warroad HS) also picked up an assist on the play. The Gusties would add an empty-net goal late in the third to complete the 5-1 win.
• Marissa Paaske (SO, Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central HS) opened the season in goal for the Auggies, making 19 saves while allowing four goals.
• The Gusties narrowly outshot the Auggies 24-23 in the contest. Augsburg skaters blocked 11 shots in the game compared to 12 blocked shots by Gustavus.
• Nora Stepan (SO, Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview HS) led the Auggies with six shots while Olson, making her collegiate debut and notching the first point of her career, had four.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Gustavus was ranked No. 1 in the season's first USCHO.com Division III national poll, while Augsburg was receiving votes in the same poll.

FOR THE FOES
• Brooke Power scored two goals for the Gusties while Sophia Coltvet, Kalle Reed, and Kylie Ligday each scored one.
• Katie McCoy had 22 saves in goal for the Gusties.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg will host fourth-ranked UW-River Falls on Saturday (10/28) in nonconference play at 3 pm.