Augsburg 3, Yellowjackets 1

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.: Friday night presented the stiffest test of the young season for the Yellowjacket men's hockey team. Not only was it the first road game of the year, but the opponent was Augsburg University, a perennial power in the M.I.A.C. and a team that has reached the N.C.A.A. tournament each of the past three years.

The Yellowjackets stood strong against the Auggies, but in the end the early lead didn't hold up.

Augsburg scored a pair of goals in the third period on the way to a 3-1 win over the Yellowjackets at the Augsburg Ice Arena.

The Yellowjackets weathered an early storm in the first period and then broke through to open the scoring. Freshman defenseman Alex Spencer (Duluth, Minn./East) started the scoring, taking a shot from the left point that was broken up in front. Liam Blais (Uxbridge, Ontario/Uxbridge Secondary) was there to get the rebound and beat Augsburg goaltender Daniil Gerasimov for his first of the year to give the Yellowjackets the lead. The goal came at 12:45 of the first period. Connor Hamonic (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey Collegiate) also assisted.

Augsburg tied the match at 3:10 of the second period when Gavin Holland picked up a rebound and put the puck past Yellowjacket goaltender A.J. Smith (Keller, Texas/Southlake Carroll). The Auggies moved ahead at 7:10 of the third period when Chase Madry slipped a shot from the right circle between Smith's pads to make it 2-1. Augsburg added an insurance marker on the power play at 15:40 when Alex Rodriguez finished off a nice three-way passing play to score his seventh goal of the season in just his third game.

With time ticking down on the clock the Yellowjackets were forced to not only play from behind, but shorthanded. Will Blake (Champlin, Minn./Breck) was assessed a five-minute major for checking from behind with just over five minutes to play, making it difficult for the Yellowjackets to mount any kind of offensive attack.

Augsburg was 1-for-6 on the power play while the Yellowjackets were 0-for-3.

Smith made 28 saves for the Yellowjackets. His record for the year is 0-1-1.

Up Next: It's a quick turnaround for the Yellowjackets as they will take on Concordia College Saturday. Game time from the Moorhead Sports Center is set for 2:00 p.m. The game can be heard live on 91.3 FM KUWS beginning with the pre-game show at 1:40 p.m.