MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Gustavus women's hockey team took the trip to Minneapolis for a crucial, albeit early MIAC match-up with Augsburg on Friday night. The Gusties (5-2-0, 5-0-0 MIAC), who slipped to No. 4 in the Division III Hockey News national poll and No. 5 in the USCHO.com rankings, dealt Augsburg (5-1-1, 4-1-0 MIAC), ranked No. 7 (DIII Hockey News) and No. 8 (USCHO.com), its first loss of the season, 2-0.
The Gusties and Auggies have developed a sort of rivalry since the exit of St. Thomas from the conference in the 2020-21 season. After all, single Augsburg wins have spoiled two consecutive perfect MIAC seasons for Gustavus. And Friday's Auggies were not the players of teams past, as the 2024-25 squad features a new head coach as well as a pair of Division I transfers. Coming off a heartbreaking loss to No. 13/14 UW-Eau Claire, though, the Gusties were eager for revenge, and it showed, dominating from puck drop at Ed Saugestad Rink.
The two MIAC powerhouses came out firing, each with a number of quality scoring chances through the first period. Athlete of the Week
Lily Mortenson (Jr., Champlin, Minn.) had one of the best looks of the first 20 minutes, pulling a toe-drag move that she has made a staple of the 2024-25 season to maneuver around the Auggie defense. Mortenson was able to clear all the defenders, but her shot on goaltender Kayla Simonson tipped off her shoulder. On the other end of the ice,
Lily Timmons (Fy., Stillwater, Minn.) stood tall between the pipes, facing her second nationally-ranked opponent in as many starts, saving all eight shots she faced in the opening frame.
Thanks to a late first period penalty, the Gusties got a over a minute of power play time to start the second period, but needed just 58 seconds, as
Eva Nelson (Fy., Buffalo, Minn.) found the back of the net shortly after the break.
Hannah Gray (Sr., Stillwater, Minn.) helped the Gusties maintain possession, cleaning up a loose puck on the half wall. The team captain sent a pass to
Kylie Ligday (So., Lake Elmo, Minn.) at the point who found
Noelle Hemr (Fy., Blaine, Minn.) for a quick connection across the blue line. Hemr walked to the top of the circle and rifled a shot off the left pad of Simonson, leaving a rebound for the taking, which Nelson buried for her second of the year. The power play tally was the first the Auggies have conceded all season, having entered the game with a perfect killing percentage on 18 penalties.
The Gusties doubled the lead six minutes later, once again on special teams, as Hemr added her second point of the night, this time on the penalty kill. A blocked shot in the Gustie zone bounced to Hemr, who sped up the ice 1-on-1 with Augsburg defender Tenley Stewart. The first-year made a quick shot attempt after entering the zone, which was blocked by the shin pad of Stewart. The puck took a bounce off the backstop, and as the two players battled for possession, Hemr was able to sneak it up and over the shoulder of Simonson from a tight angle. The goal was the first short-handed tally of Hemr's career, the second goal on the PK for the Gusties this season (Gray has the other vs. Concordia on Nov. 23), and the first shorty allowed by Augsburg all year.
The Gusties killed a late penalty and Timmons saved every shot that came her way to hold the 2-0 lead for the visitors heading into the final intermission.
Timmons shined in the third period, saving a number of quality Augsburg chances, including an uncontested shot from a speeding Jenna Allen 6:29 into the period.
Lindsay Berggren (Jr., Shoreview, Minn.) took the puck back the other way after the faceoff for a similar chance of her own, but came up empty as well. Hemr added a pair of dangerous opportunities late in the period, including a breakaway thanks to a poorly timed Auggie change, but Simonson robbed her of her second of the game to keep the lead at two. Augsburg pulled Simonson out of goal in the final minutes of play, and a Gustie penalty put the home team on a 6-on-4 advantage, but Timmons saved every puck that came her way, including one with just a second remaining on the clock, to earn her second shutout of the season.
Friday night's contest marked game No. 100 for fifth-year senior
Brooke Power (Lakeville, Minn.), who became the 51st player in program history to reach the milestone. Power's teammates
Hailey Holland '24 and
Tina Press '23 share the all-time program record with 121 games played. The win was also the program's 550th all-time victory, with the Gusties becoming just the second team in NCAA Division III history to reach the mark, trailing only Middlebury (727 wins in 44 seasons).
Gustavus out-shot Augsburg by a mark of 61-42, including an edge of 33-23 in shots on goal. The Gusties converted on both the power play and penalty kill for the second time this season, and won the battle in the circle with 31 faceoff wins to 20 for Augsburg.
Hemr led the Gustie offense with two points, her third multi-point game of the year. She also totaled 11 shots and six on goal, sharing the team lead with Gray, who also posted six on Simonson. Power, Nelson, and Berggren each had three to chip in to the team total. Timmons matched her season- and career-high 23 saves achieved last week at UW-Eau Claire in her Friday night shutout.
Simonson saved 31 of the Gusties' attempts, while Nora Stepan led Augsburg from the blue line with 11 shots and four on goal.
The two nationally-ranked foes will meet again Saturday, Dec. 7, for a 2 p.m. puck drop at Don Roberts Ice Rink.
