DE PERE - St. Norbert College had five different players score goals and consequently took the opener of a crucial two-game non-conference series against Augsburg University with a 5-3 triumph at Cornerstone Community Center.
The Green Knights (8-2-1), ranked No. 5 in the USCHO.com Division III Poll, opened the game with a 2-0 lead against the Auggies (6-3-1), ranked No. 4 by USCHO.com.
Michael McChesney scored his ninth goal of the year when he wafted a floating puck past Augsburg goaltender Samuel Vyletelka at 11:35 of the first period to get the Green Knights on the scoreboard first. St. Norbert added to its lead at 15:34, when
Curtis Hammond scored his first collegiate goal by burying the puck after
Ian Famulak won a faceoff in the offensive zone.
Augsburg cut into the deficit when Mason Palmer scored a power-play goal at the 11-minute mark of the second period. The Green Knights would need just 45 seconds to answer with a power-play goal of their own, when
Liam Fraser scored from a tough angle on the goal line at 11:45 for his ninth marker of the season.
T.J. Koufis would score from the point at 16:53 to five the Green Knights a 4-1 lead, but the Auggies would stay in the game with a goal by Austin Dollimer at 18:36.
St. Norbert would hold off Augsburg in the third period, again taking a three-goal lead when Famulak scored off a pretty passing combination from Hammond and
Braden Lindstrom at 13:24. Augsburg's Michael Redmond scored at 17:41 to bring the Auggies to within 5-3, but the visitors would get no closer despite two minutes of extra-attacker time.
St. Norbert goaltender
Johnny Roberts made 32 saves for the Green Knights, who were outshot 35-22. Vyletelka made 17 stops for the Auggies.
The Green Knights were 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Auggies were 1-for-3.
