Overtime Penalty Kick Keeps Title Hopes Alive

MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/29/13)—A penalty kick in the first minute of the second overtime has Concordia knocking on the door of its second straight MIAC regular-season title.

The Cobbers battled Macalester to a scoreless tie through 90 minutes of regulation and then the first 10-minute overtime period before prevailing with a penalty kick goal from Elizabeth Robinson. CC's 1-0 win over the Scots pushes Concordia to the top of the MIAC standings with one game left in the regular season. It also snaps a two-game losing streak for the Cobbers and stops an eight-game winning streak for Macalester.

Concordia is now 7-2-1 in conference play and has 22 league points. St. Benedict has 21 points with two games left to play while Macalester is also at 21 points with only one game remaining. The Cobbers are now 11-5-1 overall. The Scots slide to 11-4-1 in all games.

The game started out like it would be a 6-5 offensive showcase. Concordia's junior defender Libby Fransdal had a shot cleared off the goal line in the second minute of play and then Macalester's outstanding forward Georgia Kloepfil had her breakaway shot hit the inside of the post and bounce out of the goal in the fifth minute of play.

Unfortunately for the fans the game settled into a back-and-forth affair between the penalty areas with each team having few quality chances in the final 30 minutes of the opening period of play. Macalester owned an 8-4 edge in total shots over the first 45 minutes.

The Cobbers came out in the second half and their halftime adjustments allowed the team's midfield to step up their pressure, limit the Scots' offensive attacking chances and create offensive opportunities of their own.

The best chance by either team came in the 84^th minute when Robinson took a free kick from 35 yards out on the right wing and her shot hit the crossbar and then the post before bouncing away from the goal.

Fransdal was able to contain Kloepfil in the second half of play and did not allow the All-Region forward to get off any shots in the final 45 minutes of regulation.

The first overtime produced only one shot but it came from in close after the Scots broke free and crossed the ball to the middle of the goal area. The on rushing Macalester attacker had her shot sail over the bar.

The game was won after a corner kick for the Cobbers which was taken by Robinson. The ball got cleared back to Robinson on the left wing. She attacked the ball and started to speed into the left side of the penalty area. She was met just inside the byline of the penalty area by a Macalester defender and Robinson pushed the ball past the oncoming defender towards the middle of the goal. As Robinson was stepping around the defender she was upended and the referee awarded the penalty kick.

Robinson shook off the penalty and then calmly rifled the ball into the upper part of the net to give Concordia the 1-0 win.

It was Robinson's team-leading 13^th goal of the season. She now has 13 goals and two assists for 28 points. Both her goal and point totals are career highs.

Concordia was outshot 13-10 in total shots for the game and Macalester held a 5-2 edge in shots on goal. CC keeper Elizabeth Bitzan stopped five shots to record her seventh shutout of the season.

The Cobbers will now host St. Ben's on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. in the final regular season game of the season. If the Blazers beat St. Catherine on Wednesday the game will be a "winner take all" for the MIAC regular season championship.