Augsburg had a rough autumn on the football field, going 0-8 in the MIAC, and football is often the first thing that comes to mind with Division III athletic programs in Minnesota.
That shouldn't be the case with Augsburg, which is having an outstanding winter sports season. The surprise is that Auggies, perennial second-division finishers in women's basketball, are 7-0 in the MIAC in Ted Riverso's fourth season and play St. Thomas, also 7-0, on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Augsburg.
Elsewhere in this sports season at Augsburg:
The wrestling and men's hockey teams are both ranked highly in national polls, with wrestling No. 1 and men's hockey No. 4. Wrestling excellence is nothing new at Augsburg, of course.
The Auggie wrestling team had an impressive title last weekend at the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals in Louisville, Ky. It claimed four victories, including a 20-13 win over No. 3-ranked Johnson & Wales (R.I.) in the title match. It's the seventh time, and second year in a row, that Augsburg has won the National Duals.
Augsburg is now 7-0 in dual meets this season. Augsburg faces its traditional rival, No. 2-ranked Wartburg (Waverly, Iowa), in the annual "Battle of the Burgs" dual on Jan. 31 at Augsburg. Wartburg has won seven of the last eight national titles, with Augsburg's NCAA title in 2015 the lone break in that Wartburg championship run.
Augsburg's men's hockey team is off to one of its best starts to a season. The Auggies are 12-2-2 overall. Augsburg is 7-0-1 in MIAC play, after last weekend's sweep of Hamline (6-3 and 7-2).
The Auggies are currently ranked No. 4 in both the USCHO Division III and D3hockey.com national polls. They were beaten 3-1 at No. 1 Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Friday night.
Chris Brown is third coach since 1959 for the Auggies: Ed Saugestad 1959-96, Mike Schwartz 1996-2006, and Brown, 2006-present.
Augsburg has won the MIAC playoff titles and advanced to the NCAA national tournament each of the past three seasons -- the first MIAC men's hockey program to ever win three straight playoff titles.
The Augsburg men's basketball team is 6-2 and tied for third in the MIAC, with a 3 p.m. home game vs. St. Thomas in Saturday's doubleheader. The women's hockey team is 7-4-2 overall and 4-2 in the MIAC.
All in all, a very good winter for Augsburg, Minneapolis' hometown D-III program.
