Box Score

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Saint John's hockey scored a pair of third-period goals – 15 seconds apart – in a 4-3 win over Augsburg on Thursday, Jan. 25, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

Junior forward Garrett Smith (Eden Prairie, Minn.) tied the game for SJU (8-8-4, 5-5-1 MIAC) at 3-3 with 8:51 remaining in regulation when a shot from freshman defenseman Parker Gnos (Excelsior, Minn.) glanced off him in front of the net. 

Junior forward Jackson Sabo (Rosemount, Minn.) intercepted an errant pass in the Auggies' own zone and unleashed a wrister in the slot for what proved to be the game-winning goal 15 seconds later. The tally was Sabo's first of the season and his second game-winning goal in the last three games against Augsburg. He tallied the game-winner during the 3-on-3 overtime in SJU's 5-4 victory nearly one year to the date – Jan. 27, 2023 – outdoors as part of Hockey Day MN in White Bear Township.

The Auggies' nearly tied the game with 3:30 to play, but sophomore goaltender Jon Howe (Chanhassen, Minn.) made a save and Smith blocked a trio of shots on the rebound. The visitors played the final 2:21 with the goaltender pulled and an extra skater on the ice but failed to record a shot on goal the rest of the way.

An all-Edina scoring connection gave the Johnnies a 1-0 lead 6:39 into the game when freshman forward Jackson Borst found Lewis Crosby for a one-timer in front of the net. The goal was Crosby's second of the season and the 26th of his SJU career. Co-captain Max Borst provided the second assist.



The lead lasted only 1:38, however, as Nick Catalano tied the game at the 8:17 mark and Landon Parker gave Augsburg (9-8-1, 6-3-0 MIAC) a 2-1 lead on a breakaway goal with 5:06 left in the first period.

Junior forward Matt DeRosa (Alpharetta, Ga.) tied the game at 2-2 with his team-leading eighth goal of the season, on the power-play, when he deflected a shot from the right point from sophomore defenseman Conner Couet (St. Michael, Minn.) 7:58 into the second period. Erik Palmqvist, however, gave the lead back to Augsburg with his team-leading seventh goal of the season with 6:19 remaining in the second.

Howe made 24 saves to improve to 5-3-2 in net this season. The Johnnies posted a 42-27 advantage in shots, including a 17-5 margin in the second period, and finished 1-for-2 on the power play to the Auggies' 0-for-2 performance.

The two teams conclude the regular-season series with a 7 p.m. puck-drop on Friday, Jan. 26, at the Ed Saugestad Rink in Minneapolis.