Turnovers Help Cobbers Post Long Bus-Ride Win
Concordia drove six hours for their final non-conference game of the year and scored five consecutive goals, four of which came off of turnovers, and beat Finlandia 5-1.
HANCOCK, Mich. (10/17/21)---What is the best remedy for a heartbreaking conference loss the day before? How about taking a 6-hour bus ride to play a game less than 24 hours later.
Concordia used that potion to erase the memory a 2-1 loss in Minneapolis on Saturday and rolled past Finlandia on Sunday in Hancock, Mich.
The Cobbers scored the first five goals of the game, outshot the Lions 27-11 to record their third win in the last four games. CC is now 5-8-0 in all games. Finlandia, who was coming off an 8-day break, falls to 6-9-0 for the year.
Concordia shook off their bus legs early in the game when Telvin Vah scored the first of his two goals in the opening 12 minutes of play. He opened the scoring in the fourth minute of play when he was able to take the ball off of a defender's foot, race 50 yards on a breakaway and then tuck a shot in the lower right corner of the net. His 10th goal of the year came at the 3:12 mark.
Vah scored the eventual game-winning goal less than 10 minutes later when he tapped home a rebound. Senior defender Tyson Aberle made a run forward, got the ball back after a Finlandia defender failed to step to the ball. He then fired a shot from 10 yards out which the goalie stopped on a dive to his left. Vah then calmly tapped home the game winner from 4-yards out.
Vah now has 11 goals on the year which leads the MIAC. He is only the 12th player in program history to post a double-digit goal total for a single season.
The Cobbers would take a 2-0 lead into the break after outshooting the Lions 16-4 in the opening half.
Concordia would push the consecutive goal string to three in the eighth minute of the second half. Aberle was able to get forward again and came through with a goal of his own when he hammered a 25-yard shot that skidded through the defense and found the left corner of the net. It was his first goal of the year and fourth of his college career.
Sophomore Albara Mutleq finished off the Cobber scoring sheet when he posted a pair of goals in the final three minutes of play. His first strike came at the 87:14 mark. Like Vah's opening goal of the game, Mutleq was able to take the ball off the Finlandia defense and race in on a breakaway. He picked off a pass 30 yards out from goal and dribbled towards the left post. Once he got inside the penalty area he cut to his left and then played a shot on the ground back to his right that found the back of the net.
The Cobbers' final goal came at 88:21 – and once again it came off of a Lions' turnover. Freshman Gavin Groshelle picked off a pass inside the center circle and found Mutleq on the right wing, 35 yards out from goal. Mutleq dribbled uncontested until he got to the top of the 6-yard box and blasted a shot that went over the goalies' right shoulder and into the top of the net.
Mutleq now has four goals on the year which is third most for the Cobbers.
Concordia held a 27-11 edge in total shots and a 16-4 mark in shots on goal.
The Cobbers split the goalkeeping duties. Erick Torres played the first 45 minutes and made one save to earn his fourth win of the year. Freshman Jensen Waltz played the second half and made two saves.
UP NEXT: Concordia will head to St. Joseph to take on Gustavus in a make-up of the game that was cancelled due to lightning on Oct. 9. The Cobbers and Gusties play at St. Ben's on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 3 p.m.