2-Goal Hole Too Much To Overcome In Series Opener
Concordia outshot Bethel in the second period and held a ton of offensive zone time in the third period, but a pair of first-period goals by the Royals proved too much to overcome as the Cobbers dropped a 3–1 decision at Cullen Hockey Center.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
|
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Team Stats
Bethel (Minn.)
| Game Statistics | Bethel (Minn.) | Concordia-M'head |
|---|---|---|
| PowerPlays | 0 for 3 | 0 for 3 |
| Shorthanded Goals | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties (min) | 6 (12) | 6 (12) |
| Shots on Goal | 38 | 29 |
| Face Offs Won | 40 | 42 |
MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/13/26)---Concordia outshot Bethel in the second period and held a ton of offensive zone time in the third period, but a pair of first-period goals by the Royals proved too much to overcome as the Cobbers dropped a 3–1 decision at Cullen Hockey Center.
The game pitted the two teams fighting for the final spot in the 5-team MIAC playoffs. Bethel entered the weekend two points ahead of the Cobbers in the league standings. The loss puts CC five points behind the Royals with three games remaining in the regular season.
Concordia is now 11-9-2 in all games and 6-6-2 in conference play. They have 20 points in the league standings. The Royals are 11-10-1 overall and have 23 points in the standings with a 7-6-0 record.
Bethel struck twice in the opening frame, scoring at 6:32 and again at 18:57 to take a 2–0 lead into the first intermission.
Concordia responded with its best stretch of the night in the second period. The Cobbers controlled possession, outshot the Royals 16–15 in the frame, and cut the deficit in half when Colten Nestler redirected a shot for his first collegiate goal at 4:54 off assists from John Blake and Gavin Waltz.
The momentum continued with multiple offensive looks, but Bethel answered at 16:52 to push the margin back to two.
Concordia kept pressing in the third period, firing 18 more shots and generating late power‑play opportunities with the net empty, but Bethel's goaltender turned aside every chance to preserve the Royals' lead.
The Cobbers were outshot 38-29 for the game with Matthew Hard and Waltz posting four shots each to lead CC.
First-year goalie Noel Olsonawski delivered a strong performance in net, stopping 35 shots to keep Concordia within striking distance throughout the night.
Neither team scored on the power as both squads were 0-for-3 for the night.
The two teams will wrap up their key MIAC series on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. at the Cullen Hockey Center.
