PIPERS HEAD TO MIAC SEMI-FINALS WITH WIN

The third period was the charm, as Hamline University’s men’s hockey team broke a 3-3 tie with two quick goals to advance to the MIAC tournament semi-finals with a 5-4 victory over Augsburg.

The score was tied 3-3 after the opening two periods at the Pipers came out firing on their home ice, letting off 33 hard shots to just 18 from the Auggies in the first forty minutes.

Augsburg got on the scoreboard first in the four-goal opening period that saw three scores come on the power play. Nick Guran (Fy., McHenry, Ill.) slid the puck in from just outside the crease to score the Auggies’ first goal on a power play at 5:35 from Tyler Antony (Jr., Buffalo, Minn.) and Cory Ellertson (So., Albert Lea, Minn.).

Hamline trailed for just two minutes of clock time as Joe Long (Sr., Dayton, Minn.) led the Piper power play unit with a goal at 7:19 from Dustin Fulton (Sr., Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and Chris Berenguer (So., Eden Prairie, Minn.)

Kyle Kurr (Jr., Elk River, Minn.) lit the lamp in convincing fashion just 41 seconds later when he slammed home a wrist shot from the slot at exactly 8:00. The goal was the lone even-strength score of the period. Brian Arrigoni (Fy., Saint Paul, Minn.) and Ryan Kupperman (So., Canterbury, N.H.) were credited with the assists.

While skating with a 5-on-3 advantage, Augsburg evened up the score at 13:05 when Joel Sauer (So., Madison, Wis.) picked up a rebound on a shot by David Hines (Fy., Sartell, Minn.) that hit the post.

The defenseman Berenguer netted his 13th goal of the season from six feet inside the blue line at 16:41 in the second. Jared Hummel (So., Eagan, Minn.) and Jim Erickson (Sr., Brooklyn Park, Minn.) earned the assists on the goal that put the Pipers up 3-2.

Augsburg evened the score once again at 18:33, as Ben Roberts (Sr., Bloomington, Minn.) scored from Guran and Jim Jensen (So., Plymouth, Minn.).

The Pipers then killed off the first half of a minor penalty to end the period and send the teams into the locker room tied for the second time.

After the 15 minute intermission, Hamline came back out on the ice and killed off the remaining minute left on their penalty kill.

At 4:13 in the third, Berenguer curved a no-look pass from just outside the middle of the crease to his right that Nick Zilka (So., Mound, Minn.) slid in to the net, breaking the 3-3 tie.

Three minutes later the Pipers gained a two-goal lead as the Augsburg goalie popped out of the crease and Cole Scattarelli (Jr., Elk River, Minn.) skated around him to score at 7:17. Austun Tavis (So., Grand Rapids, Minn.) and Brett Burgau (So., New Ulm, Minn.) earned the assists on the goal that put the Pipers up 5-3.

Augsburg cut the lead back down to one goal at 11:29 as Sauer tipped in a shot by Guren. Trevor Doden (Fy., Red Wing, Minn.) earned the second assist alongside Guren.

The Pipers spent two minutes of the final 2:25 on a penalty kill, with Augsburg taking a time-out and pulling their goalie with exactly 60 seconds to play in an attempt to set up a game-tying play. The Pipers held off the six-skater attack for the final minute for the 5-4 win.

Hamline’s record is now 15-10-1, 9-7-0 MIAC, while Augsburg finishes the season at 9-16-1, 8-7-1 MIAC. The Pipers head to Northfield on Saturday, February 28, for an 8:00 p.m. game against the #1 seed St. Olaf Oles.