MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Gustavus women's hockey team saw its undefeated conference streak come to a close Saturday night in the Twin Cities, falling in overtime to Augsburg, 5-4. It was nothing if not déjà vu, as the Gusties dropped their only MIAC game of last season also to the Auggies, on the road, and in overtime.
Emily Olson wasted no time to open the scoring for the Gusties, putting one in the back of the net just 0:26 after the first puck drop.
Lindsay Berggren was able to find a loose puck around the Auggie net and sent a perfect pass to Olson in the middle of the ice, who sent her second of the weekend in the bottom right corner.
Hailey Holland scored a near identical goal midway through the first, this time getting a pass from a wheeling
Lily Mortenson from behind the net. The valiant efforts of
Katie McCoy kept the Auggies off the scoresheet in the first, as the fifth-year All-American made a number of crucial saves in the first 20, most notably robbing Augsburg forward Julianna Teske of a point-blank breakaway opportunity.
The second period told a different story, as the Auggies stormed back into the game with a comeback in mind. Emily Cronkhite got the home team on the board, speeding down the ice to go glove-side bar-down on McCoy. The Auggies' Ella Olson evened the score at 2-2 just 1:29 later, roofing a rebound to tie the game for the first of three times.
Molly McHugh put the Gusties back on top with a tough angle shot from the half wall, but the Auggies responded before the end of the period, netting a tipped-in shot on the power play to bring it even at 3-3 at the end of the second.
For the second time in as many games, the two teams headed into the final period of play deadlocked on the scoreboard.
Brooke Power added her second of the weekend, capitalizing off an Auggie turnover to score on the left post of Augsburg goalie Chloe Stockinger. The Auggies, however, were determined to get the upset. Kennedy Stein sent another over the shoulder of McCoy, this time on her blocker side, to tie the game at four a piece and send it to overtime.
Both
Kylie Scott and
Sophia Coltvet had a chance to keep the Gusties undefeated in the conference, but were unable to squeeze one past the net of Stockinger. With the game, comeback, and upset on the line, the Auggies' Sydney Rydel found herself all alone heading into the Gustie zone, and scored the breakaway tally to win the game 1:44 into OT.
For the first time in 770 days and 66 games, the Gusties allowed more than four goals, a streak that dated back to a 5-6 loss to UW-River Falls on December 11 of 2021. The game marked only the fourth time that McCoy, who finished with 28 saves in net, had allowed more than four goals between the pipes.
Lily Mortenson finished with two helpers on the afternoon to lead the team, while seven other Gusties added a point.
Hannah Gray posted seven of the team's 38 shots, followed by Scott who tallied six of her own.
The Gusties, now 12-3-0 overall and 9-1-0 in the league, will face St. Catherine next weekend, hosting the Wildcats at Don Roberts Ice Rink on Friday before heading to St. Paul on Saturday for the rematch.
