MINNEAPOLIS – In a back-and-forth, closely contested battle, a pair of power-play goals proved to be the difference, as the No. 8-ranked Augsburg University women's hockey team prevailed in a 4-2 nonconference victory over St. Norbert College on Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 4, St. Norbert (Wis.) 2
LOCATION: Ed Saugestad Rink, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 9-2-1 overall, St. Norbert 12-3-0 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg, ranked No. 8 in both the latest USCHO.com and D-III Hockey News Division III national polls, went 2-for-6 on the power play, with both special teams goals coming at opportune times. Aunna Schulte (FY, Bolingbrook, Ill./Plainfield East HS) scored 10 seconds into a power play at the 17:31 mark of the second period, putting home a rebound in the slot off a Jenna Allen (FY, Minnetonka, Minn./Holy Family Catholic HS) shot, with Tenley Stewart (JR, Esko, Minn./Esko HS) getting the second assist to give the Auggies a 2-1 advantage.
• Ella Olson (SO, Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS) scored her first goal of the season, a power-play marker at the 5:36 mark of the third period, an important insurance goal to give the Auggies the final margin of victory. She scored from the left wing on a pass across the slot by Grace Bonnell (SO, Madison, Wis./Memorial HS), with Emily Cronkhite (SR, Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) getting the second assist.
• St. Norbert tied the game at 2-2 with a goal 24 seconds into the third period, but the Auggies took the lead back 22 seconds later, as Ruby Eskin (FY, Minneapolis, Minn./Roseville HS) pounced on a loose puck in front off a shot in the slot by Allen, scoring her fifth goal of the season.
• Nora Stepan (JR, Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview HS) put the Auggies on the scoreboard with a goal at the 5:20 mark of the second period, scoring on a blast from the right point after a faceoff win by Livia Brehm (JR, Detroit Lakes, Minn./Stillwater HS) was directed back by Olson.
• St. Norbert outshot the Auggies by a 24-23 margin, but went 0-for-3 on the power play. The Green Knights were also unable to convert on a penalty shot at the 14:23 mark of the second period.
• Kayla Simonson (FY, Delano, Minn./Delano HS) improved to 5-2-0 on the season in goal, making 22 saves.

FOR THE FOES
• Briar Charchenko and Lexi Bonfe scored goals for St. Norbert, a team receiving votes in both the USCHO.com and D-III Hockey News national polls.
• Ashley Ommen had 19 saves in goal for the Green Knights.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg travels to Ashland, Wis., for a rescheduled game against Northland College (Wis.) on Monday (1/13) at 6 p.m.