Three-Goal Third Clinches Playoff Spot

NORTHFIELD, Minn. (2/10/17)---A three-goal third period helped Concordia cruise past St. Olaf and earn its seventh straight MIAC playoff berth.

The Cobbers busted open a 2-2 tie after two periods by scoring three unanswered goals to beat the Oles 5-2. The win pushes Concordia's conference record to 10-4-1 which is good for 21 points and the clinch of a postseason berth. CC is now 13-7-2 in all games.

Concordia opened the scoring less than two minutes into the first period when freshman Amanda Flemming scored her eighth goal of the season. Her nugget at 1:46 would last until the final two minutes of the opening period.

The Cobbers' only hiccup in the game came just over the 18-minute mark of the first frame. CC gave up two goals in a span of 9-seconds and trailed 2-1. What looked like a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission turned into a head-scratching deficit as the teams took the ice for the second period.

Concordia tied the game midway through the middle period when senior Ellen Rethwisch scored the first of her two goals on the night. Rethwisch's goal at 11:54 of the second period would be the first of four straight for CC – a string that would carry them into the postseason.

The score was tied at 2-2 after two periods with the Oles holding a 20-14 edge in shots on goal.

The third period would be all Concordia as they scored three times and outshot St. Olaf 15-6.

The game-winning goal would come at 12:13 when Rethwisch would finish off a pass from Jessica Kongelf to record her career-high 11th tally of the season.

The Cobber defense then put the clamps on the Oles as they limited St. Olaf to a single shot on goal in the final eight minutes of play.

The final two CC goals would come after the Oles had pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. Concordia went on the power play at 17:40 and then St. Olaf pulled its goalie moments later. Tori Davis would then outrush the Ole defense to a puck on the right wing and slide home her 11th goal of the year at the 19:05 mark.

Sophomore Abbie Canton finished off the scoring 10-seconds later. The Oles kept their goalie off the ice and then Canton claimed her fifth goal at the 19:15 mark.

The Cobbers wound up outshooting the Oles 29-26 for the game. Rethwisch, Davis, Canton and Jess Nelson all had four shots on target to lead the Cobber offense.

Senior goalie Andrea Klug made 24 saves to earn her 12th win of the year.

 A PERFECT 10: Concordia is now 10-4-1 in the MIAC and has won at least 10 conference games in five of the past six years. The only season they didn't win 10 games in that stretch was in 2015 when the earned nine wins.  

ON TOP OFFENSE: The Cobbers continue to lead the MIAC in goals scored. CC has netted 49 nuggets in league games and 65 goals in all games. Both marks lead the conference. Concordia's 65 overall goals ranks them 13th in all of Division III.

EXCELLENT ELLEN: The pair of goals for Ellen Rethwisch marked the third time this season that she has scored two goals in a game. Concordia is 3-0 in those games. Rethwisch has scored at least one goal in eight games and the Cobbers are 6-1-1 in those games. All 11 of Rethwisch's 11 goals on the year have come in conference games and she is now tied for the league lead in goals scored in MIAC games. She is also tied for the MIAC lead in game-winning goals with four.

WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will try for the season sweep over the Oles when they square off in Northfield on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. The Cobbers swept the Oles last season and have a 12-game unbeaten streak vs. St. Olaf.