SAINT PETER, Minn. — One night after falling 3-2 to the Auggies on the road, the Gustavus men's hockey team suffered a similar fate at home, falling once again 3-2 to the Auggies, this time at Don Roberts Ice Rink. The loss drops Gustavus to 7-10-2 overall and 2-7-1 in the MIAC.

Grant Ellings opened the game with a quick decisive goal, scoring 0:25 after the first puck drop, out-muscling the Auggie defenders to score one in the bottom left corner. The Gusties were awarded three power play opportunities in the opening frame, including a five minute major, but were unable to convert with the extra skater advantage, heading into the first break with a 1-0 lead thanks to Ellings.

Augsburg tied things up 6:53 into the second, as Dylan Schneider beat Jackson Hjelle with a back-door tap-in from the top of the crease. Just about six minutes later, the Auggies connected with a nearly identical play, this time on the zone entry, as Nick Catalano stuffed one on past the back-door pad of Hjelle for a 2-1 lead.

The Auggies added one for insurance in the third period, as a well-screened shot from the point bounced its way past Hjelle to push the lead to two. Wilmer Svensson cut the lead to 3-2, but despite the team's best efforts on the 6-on-5 play at the end of the game, the Gusties were unable to force overtime. 

Drew Holt finished with nine shots for the Gusties, who totaled 38 on the Auggie goaltender, while Jackson Hjelle made 23 saves between the pipes against Augsburg. Ellings, Holt, Svensson, and Landon Johnson all accounted for the four Gustie points in the game. The two teams played a physical game, with a combined 32 penalty minutes.

The Gusties will take next weekend off before facing Hamline on the first weekend of February. 


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