DULUTH, Minn. – Logging its sixth game of the season and second in a row with five or more goals, the No. 15-ranked Augsburg University women's hockey team clinched the second seed in the upcoming Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Hockey Playoffs, wrapping up the regular season with a 5-3 triumph over the College of St. Scholastica.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 5, St. Scholastica 3
LOCATION: Duluth, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 19-6-0 overall (15-3-0 MIAC), St. Scholastica 7-16-2 overall (6-10-2 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Kennedy Stein (SR, Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest HS) claimed the second hat trick of her career in the win, scoring two in the first period, including one on the power play, and adding a third goal in the second period. Ella Olson (FY, Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS) added a power play goal at the 7:26 mark of the second period, and Emily Cronkhite (JR, Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) scored an even strength goal 15:10 into the same period.
• The Auggies opened the scoring early in the first period when Stein found the back of the net on a shot from the high slot immediately following a faceoff win by Sydney Rydel (SR, Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) less than four minutes into the game. Less than 10 minutes later, Stein netted her second on the game with a shot from the right faceoff circle with just two seconds remaining on an Auggie power play. Tenley Stewart (SO, Esko, Minn./Esko HS) was credited with an assist on the play.
• Following a pair of Saints goals that evened the game up, Cronkhite scored her 15^th goal of the season on a tight-angle shot that went straight through the five hole to give Augsburg a 3-2 lead at the 7:26 mark in the second with Emily Schoeberl (SO, Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) picking up an assist on the play. The Auggies would find success on the power play for the second time on the night at the 15:10 mark in the second with Schoeberl finding Ella Olson (FY, Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS) on a pass from behind the net that Olson buried to give Augsburg a multi-goal lead.
• Three minutes later, Stein completed the 39^th hat trick in program history and the second of her career with another wrist shot from the high slot to give Augsburg a 5-2 lead. Claire Jenkins Coffman (SR, Mount Pleasant, Wis./The Prairie School) earned an assist on the play. The Saints would go on to add the lone third period goal with just 1:32 remaining in the game.
• The Auggies outshot the Saints 35-21 in the game, but the Saints managed a 15-7 edge in shots blocked.
 • Marissa Paaske (SO, Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central HS) played a majority of the contest in goal for the Auggies, making 17 saves on 19 shots faced.  Charlesa Prior (JR, Superior, Wis./Duluth Marshall HS) made her second appearance of the season for the Auggies, making one save and allowing a goal in 5:55 of ice time.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Winners of 16 of its last 18 games, Augsburg clinched a first-round bye and the No. 2 seed in the five-team MIAC Women's Hockey Playoffs where they will host No. 3-seeded Saint Mary's next Saturday at 2 pm.

FOR THE FOES
• Allie Bussey, Lisa LaRoche, and Hanley Block each scored goals for the Saints.

UP NEXT
• The Auggies will host Saint Mary's University on Saturday (2/24) at 2 pm in the semifinals of the MIAC Women's Hockey Playoffs.