STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Despite a phenomenal outing from goaltender Samuel Vyletelka (SO, Zilina, Slovakia/Grammar School of St. Francis of Assisi) in the second-longest game in NCAA Division III men's hockey history, the Augsburg University men's hockey team's season came to a close with a 2-1 loss to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in four-overtime in the first round of the NCAA Division III Men's Hockey Playoffs at a raucous K.B. Willett Arena.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: UW-Stevens Point 2, Augsburg 1 (4OT)
LOCATION: K.B. Willett Arena, Stevens Point, Wis.
RECORDS: Augsburg 16-10-2 overall, UW-Stevens Point 20-5-4 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Auggies struck first in the opening period when Erik Palmqvist (SR, Linkoping, Sweden/Anderstorpsgymnasiet) took a feed from Peyton Hanson (FY, Hudson, Wis./Hudson HS) and buried it in the back of the net on the power play to put Augsburg up 1-0 at the 13:11 mark.
• The Pointers evened the game up with a goal near the midpoint of the second period, proving to be the only goal of the period.
• For the third period in a row, the Pointers had 13 shots on goal in the final 20 minutes of regulation, but Vyletelka turned away all 13 shots and kept the score at 1-1 heading into overtime.
• The Auggies outshot the Pointers 8-7 in the first overtime period, but both goalies stopped every shot faced to send it to a second 20-minute overtime period. After getting outshot 12-5 in the second overtime, the Auggies matched the Pointers with 11 shots on goal each in the third overtime. With nobody finding the back of the net through three overtimes, the game advanced to a fourth overtime period, just the third such occurrence in Augsburg men's hockey history.
• The Pointers finally managed to put the game away 9:28 seconds into the fourth overtime, cleaning up a big rebound off Vyletelka's pad for the game winner to end the marathon contest.
• Vyletelka was outstanding in goal for Augsburg, making a career-high 72 saves on 74 shots faced. His 72 saves set a new NCAA Playoff game record and were the second-most in Augsburg history and tied for 15th-most in Division III history. Augsburg's Justin Lochner set both the school and Division III record with 98 saves against Gustavus in 2010. 
• The Pointers held a 74-48 advantage in shots on goal. The Augsburg penalty kill was perfect on the night, holding Stevens Point scoreless on six power play opportunities.

FOR THE FOES
• Cody Moline scored the first goal for the Pointers while David Hill netted the eventual game-winner.
• Goaltender Ryan Wagner faced 48 shots, making 47 saves.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• The teams played the equivalent of two-plus complete regulation games, a total of 129 minutes, 28 seconds. The game took 5:13 to complete, ending at 12:13 p.m.
• The game is the second-longest in NCAA Division III men's hockey history, with Augsburg now having played in all three of the longest games in Division III history. The Auggies' 6-5, four-overtime loss at Gustavus in the MIAC playoff semifinals on Feb. 27, 2010, a game that lasted 138:38, still stands as the longest while their 2-1 four-overtime win over Saint John's in the 2019 MIAC title game is the third-longest at 120:54.
• Making their eighth appearance and playing in their 16th game in the NCAA Division III national tournament, the Auggies now hold a 5-9-2 all-time record, having reached the national semifinals in 1984, 1998 and 2022.
• The game marked the final collegiate appearance for 11 Augsburg seniors -- Jarod Blackowiak (SR, Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS), Austin Dollimer (SR, Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount HS), Gavin Holland (SR, Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS), Jack Robbel (SR, Bloomington, Minn./Shattuck-St. Mary's HS), Fritz Belisle (SR, Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing HS), Mason Palmer (SR, Plymouth, Minn./Shattuck-St. Mary's HS), Erik Palmqvist (SR, Linkoping, Sweden/Anderstorpsgymnasiet), Brandon Ratzloff (SR, Rochester, Minn./John Marshall HS), Michael Redmon (SR, Brighton, Minn./Centennial (Tenn.) HS), Grant Reichenbacher (SR, Verona, Wis./Madison Edgewood HS) and Nick Woodward (SR, Dubuque, Iowa/Dubuque HS).