MINNEAPOLIS -- Scoring three goals in the third period to break a 1-1 tie, the Augsburg University men's hockey team clinched a top-two finish in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season standings, claiming a 4-2 win over Hamline University on Saturday evening.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 4, Hamline 2
LOCATION: Ed Saugestad Rink, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 14-8-1 overall (10-4-0 MIAC), Hamline 11-11-1 overall (4-10-0 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Jarod Blackowiak (SR, Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) scored the first two goals of the game for the Auggies. He tied the game at 1-1 with a power-play goal on a scramble in front from Vincent Weis (JR, Madison, Wis./Madison Edgewood HS) and Austin Dollimer (SR, Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount HS) at the 5:02 mark of the second period. Forty-four seconds into the third period, Blackowiak gave the Auggies the lead, scoring on the power play on a shot from the slot, fed by Gavin Holland (SR, Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) and Fritz Belisle (SR, Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing HS).
• Twenty-six seconds later, Daniel Chladek (JR, Anaheim, Calif./Canyon HS) got behind the Hamline defense and took a lead pass from Peyton Hanson (FY Hudson, Wis./Hudson HS), snapping a wrist shot for his seventh goal of the year. Mason Palmer (SR, Plymouth, Minn./Shattuck-St. Mary's HS) had the second assist on the goal.
• Erik Palmqvist (SR, Linkoping, Sweden/Anderstorpsgymnasiet) added an insurance goal with 5:03 left, tipping home a shot from Logan Kons (JR, Niles, Ill./Niles West HS), off a feed by Chladek.
• The Auggies outshot the Pipers by a 41-20 margin in the game, with Samuel Vyletelka (SO, Zilina, Slovakia/Grammar School of St. Francis of Assisi) netting 18 saves in goal to improve to 10-4-1 on the season.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• With 30 conference points, Augsburg has now clinched at least a top-two MIAC regular-season finish, clinching a quarterfinal bye and a home MIAC playoff semifinal game on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Ed Saugestad Rink. Augsburg can clinch the MIAC regular-season title with a regulation sweep of league-leader St. Scholastica in its series next weekend.
• Augsburg will be making its eighth straight appearance in the MIAC postseason playoffs, and its 21st MIAC playoff appearance in program history.

FOR THE FOES
• Carson Simon scored both Hamline goals -- a power-play goal 12:27 into the game, and an unassisted goal with 4:22 left in the game.
• Kevin Lake had 37 saves in goal for the Pipers.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg closes its regular season next weekend with a series against MIAC-leader St. Scholastica.