No. 18 Augustana hockey rallies late, claims shootout win at No. 15 St. Thomas

The Vikings scored two late goals and prevailed in the exhibition shootout to stay within one point of first place in the CCHA standings.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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The No. 18 Augustana hockey team scored two goals in the final 5:05 of regulation to tie the game at 3-3 against No. 15 St. Thomas, then won the exhibition shootout to claim two points in the CCHA standings. Augustana remains in third place, one point behind UST and Michigan Tech who are tied for first.

Why it matters

This comeback win keeps Augustana in the hunt for the CCHA regular season title, as they remain within one point of the conference leaders. The Vikings have shown resilience in battling back from a late deficit against a highly-ranked opponent.

The details

Augustana trailed 3-1 late in the third period before Colton Friesen and Jacob Jastrzebski scored the tying goals. In the shootout, Tyler Hennen and Brett Meerman scored for the Vikings, while goalie Josh Kotai stopped both UST attempts. Kotai made 35 saves in the game. Easton Young, Alex Gaffney, and Lucas Wahlin also scored in regulation.

  • Augustana scored the opening goal at 9:18 in the first period.
  • St. Thomas scored twice in the second period to take a 2-1 lead.
  • St. Thomas extended their lead to 3-1 with a power-play goal in the third period.
  • Augustana scored twice in the final 5:05 of regulation to tie the game at 3-3.
  • The teams played a scoreless overtime period before Augustana won the shootout.

The players

Quinn Rudrud

An Augustana hockey player.

Josh Kotai

The Augustana goaltender who made 35 saves and stopped both shootout attempts.

Carsen Musser

The St. Thomas goaltender who made 24 saves.

Alex Gaffney

A St. Thomas player who scored a goal and had an assist.

Lucas Wahlin

A St. Thomas player who scored a power-play goal.

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What they’re saying

“With the shootout win, the Vikings (19-10-4) claimed two points in the conference standings. They remain in third place with 47 points, while UST and Michigan Tech are tied for first place with 48 points.”

— CCHA (CCHA)

What’s next

Augustana and St. Thomas will return to action for the series finale at 7:07 p.m. Saturday.

The takeaway

Augustana's late comeback and shootout win against a highly-ranked opponent keeps them firmly in the hunt for the CCHA regular season title, showing the team's resilience and ability to battle back from a deficit.