Box Score

DUBUQUE, Iowa – A 6-1 scoring spurt early in the second half lifted Augustana to a 15-12 win over Dubuque Wednesday in CCIW action at Oyen Field. Coach C.J. Durham's Vikings improved to 5-5 on the season and 2-0 in the league, while the Spartans fell to 8-5 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
 
The first half was nip-and-tuck with five ties and four lead changes. Claire Carlson's free position goal two and a half minutes in gave the hosts a 1-0 lead. Senior Olivia Mayer (Libertyville HS, Green Oaks, Ill.) tied the game with Augustana a player up at the 25:26 mark and then assisted on freshman Samantha Wright's (Pattonville HS, St. Louis, Mo.) go-ahead goal 15 seconds later.
 
The score see-sawed back and forth for the rest of the period. Robyn Wittkopf's goal with 13:57 left gave Dubuque its last lead at 5-4. The Vikings answered with another Wright tally and two free position goals from sophomore Bailey Aasen (Park HS, Cottage Park, Minn.) to put Augustana up 7-5—the first two-goal margin of the contest.
 
Alora Esparza's goal with 1:23 left pulled the Spartans to within 7-6 at the halftime break.
 
Carlson opened the second-stanza scoring with a free position goal that tied the game for the sixth and final time, but the Vikings put up six of the next seven scores. Aasen and classmates Carla Bennett (Marian Catholic HS, South Holland, Ill.) and Emily Lucnik (Schaumburg HS, Schaumburg, Ill.) each found the net twice as Augustana went up 13-8.
 
Consecutive goals by Wittkopf pulled Dubuque within three, but sophomore Abbie Hoeg (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) and Mayer answered to push the margin back to 15-10 with 6:29 to play. Esparza scored at the 6:05 mark and Wittkopf's fifth goal of the evening at 1:13 accounted for the final.
 
Aasen led the Viking attack with five goals, while Bennett scored twice and had two assists. Mayer had two goals and game highs of four draw controls and three caused turnovers. Wright and Lucnik scored twice as well.
 
Madalynne Russell (Noblesville HS, Noblesville, Ind.) played the last 41 minutes in goal for Durham, making two saves and earning her first win of the season to even her record at 1-1.
 
Augustana outshot the Spartans 30-24 and won 17 of 27 draws, while Dubuque held a 16-11 advantage in ground balls. The hosts committed 19 turnovers to 15 for the Vikings.
 
On Saturday, April 15, Augustana will be in action in Kenosha, Wisconsin, facing Carthage at 3:00 p.m.