9-Life Cobbers Are Still Not Out
Concordia gave up a goal in the first 20 seconds against St. Mary's, fell into a 3-0 hole and lost 4-3 in the series opener. The good news is that the Cobbers still have a chance to make the MIAC playoffs.
WINONA, Minn. (2/16/24)---Concordia did just about everything they could to overcome a goal in the first 20 seconds of play to overtake St. Mary's, but the MIAC Defensive Player of the Week proved to be too much in the opener of the final series of the regular season.
The Cobbers outshot the Cardinals in all three periods and held a lopsided 48-17 advantage in shots on goal, but SMU junior goalie A.J. Ruskowski, who is the reigning MIAC Defensive Player of the Week, continued his hot hand by stopping the Cobbers on numerous point-blank chances.
In the end, St. Mary's three-goal spree to start the game was too big of a hole to climb out of in the final 4-3 score line. Concordia netted three of the final four goals in the contest but could never come up with the critical game-tying strike.
Like the cat who has been killed for the eighth time, the good news for the Cobbers is that they still have one more chance to make the MIAC playoffs. Concordia owns a 5-8-2 record heading into the regular-season finale on Saturday and would clinch a spot in the postseason if they can post a win in regulation and St. Olaf would lose in overtime or a shootout.
The game on Friday started as bad as it possibly could for the Cobbers. St. Mary's dumped the puck into the CC end after the opening faceoff, got control, and fired a shot from the right point that was tipped into the net from the top of the crease.
The goal at the 17-second mark forced Concordia to chase the game for a full 59:43.
St. Mary's (9-13-2, 7-7-1 MIAC) doubled their lead on the power play at the 13:58 mark after a flurry of Cobbers blocked shots in front of the CC goal, only to have the puck bounce right to a Cardinal player standing on the right side of the crease who was able to fire the puck into the top of the net.
The deficit increased to three goals in the third minute of the second period when they were able to convert on a rebound after a breakaway attempt went wide, hit the back boards and caromed right to an SMU player who was skating down the slot.
The Cobber comeback trailed started at the midway point of the period. Junior Jack Westlund tracked the puck down in the St. Mary's zone and was able to thread a cross-ice pass to defenseman Zach Stoner, who was open on the right point. Stoner fired a shot on goal and Troy Dahlheimer was able to get the blade of his stick on the puck and tip it past Ruskowski.
Dahlheimer's goal at 10:05 was his fourth of the season and gave the Cobbers new life in the game.
The 2-goal margin lasted for 2:50 before the Cardinals scored the eventual game-winning goal when they were shorthanded. Concordia got caught on a line change right after they went on the power play after a 4-on-4 situation. An SMU player was all alone in the neutral zone and proceeded to finish off the breakaway chance at 12:55.
Concordia (10-11-3, 5-8-2) wouldn't be deterred on their comeback path and was able to go into the second intermission only down two goals after Mason Plante scored his 10th goal of the year at the 16:51 mark. CC's second goal of the game was set up by the slick stickhandling from Braden Costello. Costello dangled past a couple of Cardinal defenders and then slid a pass to Plante, who was wide open at the right faceoff dot. Plante corralled the puck and then went into the top cupboard to bring CC to within two at 4-2.
Sophomore Joe Harguindeguy set the stage for a drama-filled last 13 minutes of the game when he scored on the power play at 6:18 of the third period. He played a 2-man passing game with Bauer Barry and ended up getting the puck at the top of the left faceoff circle. He took a couple of strides towards the goal and fired a shot that found its way inside the left post.
The goal, in Harguindeguy's first game back from an injury, was his third of the year.
Concordia would put up nine shots on goal in the final 10 minutes of play but never got one past Ruskowski to tie the game.
Both teams scored one goal on the power play with the Cardinals' shorthanded strike being the difference on special teams.
Matt Fitzgerald made 13 saves in goal for CC, while Ruskowski finished with 45 saves. It is his third 40-plus performance in the last five games.
UP NEXT: The Cobbers will look to do their part to secure a spot in the conference postseason when they host St. Mary's in the series finale on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.