NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College women's hockey team was blanked, 4-0, by No. 2/4-ranked Augsburg University in the team's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) series on Saturday at St. Olaf Ice Arena.

After a scoreless first period, Augsburg (15-3-1, 9-2-1 MIAC) scored twice in each of the final two periods to complete the sweep of St. Olaf (9-10-0, 6-6-0 MIAC), which was playing its seventh game against a team ranked in the top 10 nationally this season. The Oles remained in fifth place in the MIAC standings despite the loss but saw their lead for the final playoff spot reduced to one point.

Augsburg, which was ranked No. 2 in this week's D-III Hockey News Women's Poll and No. 4 in this week's USCHO Division III Women's Poll, outshot St. Olaf by a 10-3 margin in the first period, but senior Hannah Fritz stopped all 10 shots she faced to keep the game scoreless. The Oles killed off a pair of minor penalties in the period.

The Auggies broke through on a goal by Ella Olson 4:25 into the second period and added another from Aunna Schulte eight minutes later to double their lead. Adelyn Milota extended the visitors' lead to 3-0 just over five minutes into the third before Olson got her second of the night with an empty-netter with three minutes to go.

Fritz totaled 28 saves in the loss for St. Olaf, while Marissa Paaske recorded a 12-save shutout for Augsburg. The Oles had just one power play in the game, which came late in the second period with the score at 2-0.

St. Olaf will host the College of St. Scholastica to open the teams' MIAC series at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6. After the game, the Oles will hold a Skate with the Oles event on the ice in celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day.