2019 Auggie Awards - Men's Most Improved Team Nominees

2019 Auggie Awards Header - Monday, April 22, Si Melby Hall
15407GOLF (2017-18: 3rd/10 at MIAC Championships; 2018-19: t-2nd/10 at MIAC Championships) -- Augsburg improved one spot in the MIAC Championship standings, finishing tied for second at the 2018 event at the Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan, Minn., just four strokes behind St. Thomas. The Auggies’ 886 stroke total marked a school record for a 54-hole total in the “modern era” of the men’s golf program (1994-94 to present), breaking the old mark of 891. The finish marked the first time Augsburg has finished a 54-hole meet with all three rounds scoring under 300. It is the third time in the last four years that Augsburg has recorded a top-three finish at the MIAC Championships. Brett Buckingham earned MIAC All-Championship Team (top-10) honors for the second straight year and All-MIAC honors for the third straight year. Buckingham was named the MIAC Elite 22 honoree for the second straight year. Dakota Krech also earned MIAC All-Championship and All-MIAC honors, both for his first time.
15672HOCKEY (2018-19: 21-4-3 overall, 13-1-2 MIAC, MIAC playoff champions, NCAA playoff participants; 2017-18: 19-10-0 overall, 10-6-0 MIAC, MIAC playoff finalists, NCAA playoff participants) -- Augsburg claimed its most overall wins since the 1997-98 season and its most conference wins since the 1982-83 campaign. The Auggies won the MIAC regular-season title for the second time in the last four years and the 10th time in school history, while claiming its fourth straight MIAC playoff title -- a feat unprecedented in MIAC men’s hockey history -- and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national tournament for the fourth year in a row. Head coach Chris Brown was named the MIAC Coach of the Year, for the third time in his career. Goalie Nick Schmidt was named the MIAC Player of the Year and earned All-MIAC honors, after earning All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors the last two years. Forwards Luke Dietsch and Chandler Madry each earned All-MIAC honors for the second straight year, while defender John O’Connor was named to the All-MIAC squad. Forwards Alex Rodriguez, Tommy Carey and defender Jason Krych all earned All-MIAC honors. Forward Austin Dollimer was named to the MIAC's All-Rookie Team, and forward Lukas Gillett was named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team. Rodriguez and O’Connor were also named to the AHCA Division III All-America Team, Rodriguez as a West Region first-team forward and O’Connor as a West Region second-team defender.
15445SOCCER (2018: 12-4-4 overall, 6-2-2 MIAC, MIAC playoff finalists, NCAA playoff participant; 2017: 8-9-1 overall, 3-6-1 MIAC) --  Augsburg claimed its most wins in a single season since the 2010 campaign, advancing to the MIAC playoff championship game and gaining an at-large bid into the NCAA national tournament for the third time in program history. The Auggies won six of their first seven games and were 6-2-4 in their final 12 games. Augsburg outscored its opponents by a 40-14 margin and recorded 10 shutouts this season. Defender Daniel Hedstrom earned All-MIAC, D-III All-America, United Soccer Coaches D-III All-North Region first-team and Scholar All-American honors. Forward/defender Emmanual Egbujor and forward Lionel Vang all earned All-MIAC honors, while Vang also earned an United Soccer Coaches D-III All-North Region first-team honor. Defender Luke Falk and goalkeeper Garrett Kaelin were All-MIAC Honorable Mention honorees, while Kaelin was also named a D3soccer.com All-American and and United Soccer Coaches D-III All-North Region second team. Midfielder Kouseng Yang was named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team.