Minneapolis – Four second-period goals helped the Gustavus women’s hockey team capture a 5-2 win over Augsburg College on Friday night at Ed Saugestad Rink. After taking a 1-0 lead in to the first intermission, the Gusties outscored the Auggies 4-2 in the second period of the three-goal victory. With the win, Gustavus improves to 9-3-2 overall and 7-0-0 in the MIAC, while Augsburg falls to 5-9-0 overall and 2-5-0 in league play.
Marissa Brandt (Jr., Vadnais Heights, Minn.) started the scoring for the Gusties when she scored her first goal of the season at the 4:52 mark. Brandt’s goal came with an assist from Courtney Boucher (Jr., Hastings, Minn.) and put Gustavus on top 1-0, which is where the score would stay headed to the first intermission.
Just over five minutes into the second period, Allison Eder-Zdechlik (So., Stillwater, Minn.) scored her 11th goal of the season to put the Gusties in front by two goals. Eder-Zdechlik’s goal came shorthanded, her third of the season.
Augsburg’s Kayla Fuechtmann momentarily stopped the bleeding with her fifth goal of the season at the 6:37 mark of the second period to cut the lead to one. Kelsey Lyngdal and Brenna Nakonechny assisted Fuechtmann on the goal.
Two minutes later, Carolyn Draayer (Jr., Deep Haven, Minn.) extended Gustavus’s lead to two scores when she netted a power play goal. Draayer’s fifth goal of the season came with assists from Boucher and Brandt.
Continuing the flurry of scoring, Emily Reibert (So., Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) chipped in with her fourth goal of the season just one minute later. Reibert was assisted by Halie Gudmonson (Fy., Albertville, Minn.) and Boucher.
The two teams settled down momentarily before Augsburg’s Darby Lindgren scored her sixth goal of the season with 6:57 remaining in the second period, but the Gusties had the last word in the frame, as Riley Viner (Fy., South St. Paul, Minn.) scored at the 19:31 mark to put Gustavus on top 5-2 for good. It was Boucher assisting on Viner’s goal yet again.
The two teams skated to a scoreless third period and the 5-2 score was stamped final.
For the game, Gustavus outshot Augsburg 32-17, highlighted by an 18-7 advantage in the first period. Although the Gusties scored four goals in the second period, they registered just six shots on goal. Each team finished 1 for 4 on the power play.
While five different Gusties scored goals in the win, it was Courtney Boucher who stole the show from her spot on the blue line. The junior registered four assists in the game, which is the first time a Gustavus player has done so since Nov. 19th, 2005 when Kelly Crandall did so in a 10-0 win over St. Catherine.
In net, Lindsey Hibbard (So., Princeton, Minn.) earned the win for Gustavus after allowing two goals and making 14 saves. Brianna Schulz was given the loss in a 27-save effort.
These two teams will square off once again tomorrow afternoon at Don Roberts Ice Rink. Tomorrow’s opening face off is set for 2:00 p.m.