MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg University head coach Elizabeth "Biz" Bauer was named the 2025-26 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Hockey Coach of the Year and six Auggie women's hockey players earned 2025-26 postseason honors from the MIAC, it was announced on Monday.

For the second straight year, defender Nora Stepan (SR, Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview HS) was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year, while also earning All-MIAC honors for the fourth straight year. Also named to the 20-player All-MIAC team were forwards Kate Haug (SR, Roseville, Minn./Roseville HS), Ella Olson (JR, Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS) and Aunna Schulte (SO, Bolingbrook, Ill./Plainfield East HS). Defender Tenley Stewart (SR, Esko, Minn./Esko HS) was one of 11 conference players to earn All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors, and goalie Marissa Paaske (SR, Crystal Lake, Minn./Crystal Lake Central HS) was named to the eight-player All-MIAC Playoff Team.

Just the third head coach in the 31-year history of the Augsburg women's hockey program, Bauer led the Auggies to the MIAC's regular-season championship for the second straight year, with a 21-4-1 overall record and 15-2-1 MIAC record. In her two seasons, the Auggies have produced a 45-8-1 record, including a 31-4-1 record in MIAC play. Last year, Bauer earned Division III Women's Hockey National Coach of the Year honors from both the American Hockey Coaches Association and DIIIHockeyNews.com, after Augsburg captured the MIAC's regular-season and playoff titles and finished in a tie for third place at the Division III National Championships. It marks the second time that an Augsburg women's hockey coach has earned MIAC Coach of the Year honors, after Jill Pohtilla earned the honor in the 1999-2000 season.

This season, Augsburg has outscored its opponents by an 83-41 margin in overall play, the second-most goals scored and fewest goals allowed by MIAC teams. Augsburg's 3.19 goals per-game average is 14th-best among NCAA Division III teams nationally, with its 1.48 goals allowed per-game average 15th-best.

Stepan is just the third Auggie women's hockey player to earn All-MIAC honors all four years of their careers, joining Tiffany Magnuson (2005-09) and Lauren Chezick (2022-25), and now one of just 27 conference women's hockey players ever to earn the four-year All-MIAC honor. She is the second Auggie to earn an MIAC Player of the Year honor twice, joining Angie Rieger (1999-2000 and 2000-01). It marks the sixth time that an Auggie women's hockey player has earned an MIAC Player of the Year award in program history.

A first-team AHCA All-American and second-team DIIIHockeyNews.com All-American last year, Stepan leads the Auggies in all three scoring categories this season, with 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points, leading the MIAC in overall statistics in goals scored and goals per-game (0.65), tied for first in points scored and points per-game (1.23), while tied for fourth in assists and assists per-game (0.58). Her 17 goals are most among all NCAA Division III defenders nationally and tied for 17th among all players regardless of position. Her 32 points are tied for third-most among defenders nationally. She has a goal or assist in 19 of her 26 games played this season, with 12 multiple-point games.

The MIAC Rookie of the Year in the 2022-23 season, Stepan has played in a school-record-tying 108 games in her collegiate career, with 49 goals and 50 assists for 99 career points, a plus-91 plus-minus rating, 13 power-play goals and 13 game-winning goals. She is currently tied for fourth in school history in career points, tied for fifth in goals scored, third in power-play goals, and tied for fifth in assists. Her plus-91 plus-minus rating is second-best in school history.

Earning her first All-MIAC honor, Haug had a career-best season in 2025-26, scoring 11 goals with nine assists for 20 points, ranking third on the team in goals scored and fourth in points. She contributed two power-play goals and two game-winning goals, with a plus-11 plus-minus rating. Haug had a goal or assist in 14 of her 25 games played this season, with four multi-point games.

A transfer who played her first two seasons at Division I St. Thomas, Haug has played in 88 games in her collegiate career, with 14 goals and 25 assists for 39 points, two power-play goals, three game-winning goals and a plus-15 plus-minus rating. She has 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points and a plus-27 plus-minus rating in 54 Augsburg games over the past two campaigns.

Olson also had a career-best season in earning her first All-MIAC honor in 2025-26, scoring 12 goals with 11 assists for 23 points, with three game-winning goals and a plus-23 plus-minus rating -- second on the team in goals, points and plus-minus. She had a goal or assist in 15 of her 26 games this season, with six multi-point games. 

In 68 career games in three seasons as an Auggie, Olson now has 27 goals and 25 assists for 52 career points, with eight power-play goals, nine game-winning goals and a plus-38 plus-minus rating.

An All-MIAC Playoff Team selection in 2024-25, Schulte had a strong sophomore campaign this season, with 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points, with three power-play goals, two game-winning goals and a plus-9 plus-minus rating -- fourth on the team in goals scored, second in assists and tied for second in points. She has a goal or assist in 12 of her 26 games this season, with eight multi-point games.

In 52 games in her two seasons at Augsburg, Schulte has 23 goals and 19 assists for 42 points, five power-play goals, eight game-winning goals and a plus-26 plus-minus rating.

An All-MIAC selection in 2023-24, Stewart has played in all 26 games on defense, scoring two goals with two assists for four points, a power-play goal and two game-winning goals. 

Playing in a school-record-tying 108 career games, Stewart has scored seven goals with 28 assists for 35 points in her career, with four power-play goals, four game-winning goals, 116 blocked shots and a plus-five plus-minus rating.

Paaske was named to the All-MIAC Playoff Team for her performance in Augsburg's 1-0 overtime playoff semifinal loss to Gustavus on Feb. 24, where she had 23 saves on 24 shots faced. Splitting time in goal this season, Paaske appeared in 14 games this season, with a 10-2-0 record, a .953 save percentage, 1.07 goals against-average and five shutouts, leading the MIAC in save percentage and GAA.

Playing in 40 games in her college career, Paaske has a 30-3-2 career record, a .944 save percentage, 1.15 goals against-average and 11 shutouts -- the save percentage, GAA and shutouts all school records. Her 30 career wins are third-most in school history.

Augsburg's 21-4-1 overall record marks the fourth time Augsburg has reached the 20-win plateau (seasons with varsity games-only) in school history, and the sixth time (fourth in a row) Augsburg has had 14 or more wins in conference play. Augsburg will compete in the NCAA Division III national playoffs for the second straight year, hosting Elmira College (N.Y.) in a first-round game this Saturday (3/14) at 3 p.m. at Ed Saugestad Rink.