Box Score

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Saint John's hockey returned to conference play and suffered a 7-4 defeat to league-leading Augsburg on Thursday, Feb. 1, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

Augsburg (15-7-0, 9-4-0 MIAC) broke open a 3-2 lead with three goals in a span of 2:55 late in the second period, including two goals during a five-minute major power play.

SJU (12-6-2, 7-4-0 MIAC) out-shot the Auggies by a 15-2 margin in the second period before the five-minute major penalty was assessed. 

Augsburg ended the night 3-for-6 on the man advantage to the Johnnies' 0-for-2 showing. The Auggies entered the weekend leading the MIAC with an average of 15.2 penalty minutes per conference game. 

Sophomore forward Brady Heppner (Crookston, Minn.) and senior forward Sam Valerius (Maple Grove, Minn.) scored two goals apiece and junior forward Robb Stautz (Roseville, Minn.) added a pair of assists in the loss.

Valerius cut SJU's deficit to 6-3 with his second tally of the night 8:19 into the third period and Heppner made it a two-goal game with a shorthanded goal, during SJU's second five-minute major of the night, with 5:34 remaining. The two, five-minute major penalties were the Johnnies' first of the season.

Jake Larson sealed the win for Augsburg with his second goal of the night, an empty-netter, with 26 seconds left.

The Auggies came out of the gates firing, out-shooting the Johnnies 17-5 to gain a 2-1 lead in the first period. Augsburg was out-shot 18-11 in the second period but out-scored SJU, 4-1.

Freshman goaltender Mac Berglove (Elk River, Minn.) replaced sophomore Andrew Lindgren (Minneapolis, Minn.), who made 22 saves in the loss, and stopped all nine shots faced in the third period.

The Johnnies and Auggies wrap up the weekend series with a 7:05 p.m. puck-drop on Friday, Feb. 2, at the Ed Saugestad Rink in Minneapolis.