DULUTH, Minn. -- Scoring three goals on special teams and receiving another outstanding performance in goal from Samuel Vyletelka (SO, Zilina, Slovakia/Grammar School of St. Francis of Assisi), the Augsburg University men's hockey team claimed its sixth Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoff championship and eighth berth in the NCAA Division III national playoffs, with a 4-1 victory at the College of St. Scholastica on Saturday evening.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 4, St. Scholastica 1
LOCATION: Mars Lakeview Arena, Duluth, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 16-9-2 overall, St. Scholastica 17-7-3 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg went 2-for-5 on the power play and scored a shorthanded goal to claim the conference playoff title -- its sixth in program history and fifth in its last seven playoff appearances. With the win, Augsburg claimed the MIAC's automatic bid to the 12-team NCAA Division III national tournament for the eighth time in school history, and sixth time since the 2015-16 season.
• Augsburg struck first with a power-play goal just 2:24 into play, as Nick Woodward (SR, Dubuque, Iowa/Dubuque HS) fired a wrister from the blue line off a feed from Gavin Holland (SR, Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS), for his fifth goal of the season.
• The Auggies scored their fifth shorthanded goal of the season halfway through the first period, when Holland blocked a St. Scholastica pass at the blue line, picked up the loose puck and sprinted forward for his team-leading 14th goal of the campaign. 
• St. Scholastica cut the lead to 2-1 with a power-play goal 45 seconds after Holland's tally, but clinched the win with a pair of goals in the final six minutes of the second period. On the power play, Erik Palmqvist (SR, Linkoping, Sweden/Anderstorpsgymnasiet), pounced on a rebound to a wide open right side of the net, off a shot by Peyton Hanson (FY, Hudson, Wis./Hudson HS). Daniel Chladek (JR, Anaheim, Calif./Canyon HS) had the second assist on the goal.
• Vincent Weis (JR, Madison, Wis./Madison Edgewood HS) capped the Auggie scoring with his fourth goal of the season, scoring on a shot from the right half-wall on assists from Austin Dollimer (SR, Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount HS) and Fritz Belisle (SR, Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing HS). 
• Vyletelka had his second straight outstanding postseason game in goal, recording 25 saves to improve to 12-5-1 on the season. The Auggies outshot the Saints by a 37-26 margin, including a 27-13 margin in the final two periods.

FOR THE FOES
• Tyler Hinterser scored a power-play goal from Braden Holcomb and Arkhip Ledenkov at the 11:42 mark of the first period for the Saints.
• St. Scholastica goalie Jack Bostedt had 33 saves.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Making its 21st appearance in the MIAC playoffs and eighth in a row, Augsburg competed in its eighth playoff title game and sixth in its last seven appearances. Augsburg has now won six conference playoff titles in school history (1998, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022).
• For the sixth time, Augsburg claimed the Ed Saugestad Cup, the MIAC playoff trophy named for the legendary Augsburg coach and educator. Augsburg was the inaugural winner of the Ed Saugestad Cup in the 1997-98 season.
• Augsburg will now compete in the NCAA Division III national tournament for the eighth time in school history (1984, 1998, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023).

UP NEXT
• Selections for the 12-team NCAA Division III national tournament will be announced on an NCAA.com webcast on Monday (3/6) at 9 a.m. Central time. Four first-round games will be held next Saturday (3/11), with the quarterfinals set for March 18 and the semifinals and finals set for March 24 and 26.