February 14, 2025
Season-High Goal Production Earns Series-Opening Win
Concordia exploded for a season-high five goals in their series opener against Bethel and cruised to a 5-1 win. The five goals came after the Cobbers had only scored seven in their last seven games.
MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/14/25)---Whatever head coach Jason Gregoire's practice plan to inject more goals into the Cobber offensive was last week in practice, he should bottle it and sell it to every college coach.
Concordia entered the series opener against Bethel on Friday, having only scored seven goals in its last seven games. The Cobbers nearly doubled that total as they erupted for five goals and cruised to a 5-1 victory over the Royals.
The five goals are the most in a single game this season and the most since they dropped seven on Wis.-Superior in December of last season – a span of 35 games.
The win also ended a 3-game skid for the Cobbers who are now 5-17-0 overall and 4-11-0 against conference opponents. Bethel drops below the .500 mark for the year and is now 10-11-1 in all games and 5-10-0 in the MIAC.
Concordia's scoring luck looked like it would stay the same from the past seven games at the start of the game. Junior Morgan Sauvageau found herself wide open in front of goal and hammered a shot that dented the goalpost. To make matters worse, the rebound somehow bounced over Sauvageau's stick as she was primed to bury the second chance.
The Cobbers' scoring fate changed at the 13:66 mark of the opening period. Senior Jerica Friese netted her seventh goal of the year on a tip in from the top of the crease to give CC a 1-0 lead. Siena Kropp and Jayda Krikorian were credited with the assists.
The game-winning goal came with 1:20 left in the period as junior Memphis Mertens used her speed to get behind the Bethel defense and knocked the water bottle off the net with a blistering wrist shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle.
First-year forward Keira Borreson was awarded her first college assist on the play.
Bethel cut Concordia's lead in half with a power play goal midway through the second period.
The Cobbers followed that with three unanswered tallies – including two in the final 33 seconds of the middle frame.
Madilyn Skogman finished off a scrum in front of the Bethel goal to retake the 2-goal lead. She collected her own rebound and slid the puck into the net at 19:27. Senior Abbey Hardwick collected her fifth assist on CC's third goal.
First-year defender Molly Hentges made it two goals in 32 second when she scored her first collegiate goal with only 1 second left in the period. Hentges fired a shot from the left point that eluded the traffic in front of the goal and crossed the goal line as time ran out in the period.
The final goal of the game came in the final minute of the third period. Bethel pulled its goalie with 4:15 to play and it stayed 6-on-5 until the 17:38 mark when the Royals were whistled for a tripping penalty.
The Bethel head coach put the goalie back in but it didn't stop Sauvageau from adding the fifth goal at 19:02.
Concordia's third power play goal in the last 14 games came on a solo effort from Sauvageau. She knocked the puck down in the neutral zone, skated into the BU zone, turned the corner on a Bethel defender, cut to the net from the bottom of the left faceoff circle and slid the puck home.
The goal was Sauvageau's team-leading ninth of the year and she now has 27 tallies in her Cobber career.
Ashlea Arvidson turned aside 29 of the 30 shots she faced in the game and recorded her fifth win of the year for CC.
Concordia will look to continue its scoring success when they host Bethel in the series finale on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. at the Cullen Hockey Center.
CONCORDIA vs. BETHEL HIGHLIGHTS
CONCORDIA vs. BETHEL HIGHLIGHTS
