MINNEAPOLIS – There looks to be a shuttle from Austin to Augsburg College.

Saturday, November 25, 2000

MINNEAPOLIS – There looks to be a shuttle from Austin to Augsburg College.

Three former Austin girls hockey players are playing for Augsburg this year and two Austin wrestlers, junior Brad Fisher and freshman Mike Cunningham are on the mats at Si Melby Hall for the Division III national defending champion Auggies, who have six titles in the last 10 years.

There could’ve been an Austin fall caravan to Augsburg as well, as sophomores Kyle Koch and Brett Dunlap competed for the Auggies’ football team; junior Joe Huffer for the soccer team; and junior Chad Thomas for the men’s golf team.

Augsburg juniors, twins April and Rachel Leger, were one of the driving forces in the starting of the AHS girls program. April plays right wing on the second line for Augsburg this season and Rachel is a defender. Last year the Packers, in their fourth season, went to the state tournament led by the goaltending of Katie Fedoryk, now an Augsburg freshman.

"They wanted to make us a club team initially," April Leger said. "We fought against that because we thought if we played varsity the program would develop a lot faster and we could be playing to get to state a lot sooner. I was really proud that they went to state last year."

The Legers were also developing their talents at Doug Woog Hockey Camps in the summer where they were first spotted by Augsburg women’s hockey coach Jill Pohtilla.

"I saw them for the first time there and we kept in touch," Pohtilla said. "I don’t really recruit someone unless they first think that Augsburg is a place they want to go to school, a place that has the things they want to study."

Fedoryk was the starter in Austin’s initial varsity game. In her fourth and final year at AHS Fedoryk posted a slew of tournament records at State. She recorded 53 saves in Austin’s first game against Anoka, a 6-1 loss. She then made 22 saves in one period, 51 for the game, in an 8-0 loss in the consolation semifinals to Bemidji. Her records are 22 saves in a period, 53 saves in a game, and 104 saves in a tournament.

"I was impressed by her at the tournament," Pohtilla said. "We want our goalie to make a save on the first shot. She made four, five, or six saves. Against a barrage of shots she held her own.

"Notable at that tournament was that U.S.A. Women’s National coach Ben Smith was there. He was sitting a few rows in front of me. I went down to talk to him and he mentioned Katie’s play. He asked, ‘Who is she going to play for next year?’, and I replied ‘I hope Augsburg’."

"Coach, who usually doesn’t come into the locker room, did after seeing Katie play in the tournament," April said. "She came running into the locker room before practice and said we have got to get Katie."

"When coach talked to my parents," Fedoryk said, "she told them about talking to coach Smith and that he said that she should get me if she could."

While Fedoryk was being spectacular in net against the best in Minnesota, the Legers were helping the Auggies win the MIAC playoffs. With a two game sweep of Gustavus Adolphus the Auggies earned a trip to the first American Women’s College Hockey Alliance (AWCHA) Division III national championships against Middlebury College, Vermont.

"That was an awesome experience," April said. "It is probably the highlight of our careers."

"We were swept in two games," coach Pohtilla said. "Middlebury outplayed us but we learned a lot. "

In her first and only varsity action so far, Fedoryk played against Saint Catherine’s November 18 at Drake Ice Arena in St. Paul. She made 28 saves. Augsburg lost 3-0 for the second straight night.

"It was a good game," Fedoryk said. "The play is much faster than in high school."

"Katie should get her share of playing time this year," Pohtilla said. "She will share time with sophomore Jodi Winters. The have big shoulders to fill after the graduation of All-American Meg Schmidt."

Against St. Catherine, Rachel sustained an injury to her knee. It is not certain when she will be back in action.

St. Cates’ play was a slight surprise for the Legers and coach Pohtilla.

"Last year they finished in fourth place in the MIAC," Pohtilla said. "Everyone in the MIAC is improving by leaps and bounds. This year there will be a lot of evenly contested games."

The number of schools playing varsity hockey is booming. This year there are 39 division III schools and ten teams in the MIAC. Two years ago there were six teams in the MIAC, last year there were eight.

"Forty is a magic number for the NCAA," Pohtilla said. "They will sponsor a Division III tournament once we get to 40. The AWCHA will have a four-team tournament this year. The ECAC champs and MIAC playoff champs are invited. There are also two at-large bids."

April hopes to be a part of the explosion of woman’s hockey also as a coach. She is a physical education major.

"Rachel can be my (defense)-coach," April said, "and Katie my goalie coach."

Rachel is a chemistry major.

"I want to be either a chemical engineer or a forensic scientist," she said.

Right now Fedoryk is looking to major in Communications and Secondary Education.