The Wait Is Over
Concordia scored three unanswered goals in a span of 2:38 in the second period which helped them post a 5-2 win over St. Scholastica and end an extended losing streak.
MOORHEAD, Minn. (1/14/23)---The wait is over. After 64 days the Cobbers have their fourth win of the season, first conference victory of the year – and they even scored a power play goal in the process.
Concordia exploded for three goals in the second period which turned a 2-2 tie score with St. Scholastica into a 5-2 victory.
The win is the first since the beginning of November for the Cobbers and moves their overall record to 4-11 on the season. CC also picks up its first league victory of the year and goes to 1-7-0.
The series finale between the teams didn't start out on a positive note as the Saints opened the scoring at the 5:40 mark of the first period.
St. Scholastica (4-8-1, 3-5-0 MIAC) would also take a 2-1 lead midway through the opener, but each time the Saint scored, CC had an answer.
Junior Paige Hanson tied the game at 1-1 when she stepped up between the faceoff circles to bury a rebound at 9:27. McKenzie Oelkers and Lexi Woodward were credited with the assists on Hanson's second goal of the year.
Jerica Friese would net the first of her two goals at 15:17 of the first frame to tie the score at 2-2. The goal came on the power play which broke a 0-for-30 streak on the PP for the Cobbers.
Reghan Bork and Abbey Hardwick set up the goal that sent the team's into the first intermission tied at 2-2.
The second and third periods would be all Concordia.
Bork scored the game-winning goal with the Cobbers killing off a penalty. The goal would be the first of three in 2:38 for Concordia.
Bork's hustle earned her the shorthanded strike which was her first collegiate goal. Kaylie Zimmerman picked up the helper on the game winner.
Freshman Morgan Sauvageau then scored 37-seconds later when she snapped off a shot from the right faceoff circle that beat the CSS goalie over her left shoulder. The goal was Sauvageau's eighth of the season.
Friese finished off the trifecta of goals with a greasy tap-in from just outside the crease at the 10:19 mark. The two goals in the game give Friese a team-leading nine for the season. It was also her third multiple-goal game of the year.
The Cobbers then used their defense, and the strong play of senior goalie Kiana Flaig to keep the Saints off the board for the remainder of the game.
St. Scholastica held a 33-19 advantage in shots on goal, but Concordia held a distinct advantage in offensive zone time and total shots.
Flaig finished the contest by turning aside 31 of the 33 shots she faced.
UP NEXT: Concordia will look to keep the momentum going when it hosts Bethel in a 2-game series on Jan. 20-21 at the Moorhead Sports Center.
CONCORDIA vs. ST. SCHOLASTICA HIGHLIGHTS