Series Finale Decided By Special Teams
For the second straight game, special teams was the story between Concordia and St. John’s. On Thursday the Johnnies scored three power play goals and won 7-3. On Saturday, the Cobbers conceded four power play goals and fell 5-1.
MOORHEAD, Minn. (11/12/22)---For the second straight game, special teams was the story between Concordia and St. John's. On Thursday in St. Cloud, the Johnnies scored three power play goals, and had a shorthanded goal in their 7-3 win. On Saturday, the Cobbers conceded four power play goals and fell 5-1.
The loss sends the Cobbers to its third straight loss. CC is now 2-4-0 in all games and 0-2-0 in the MIAC. St. John's wins for the third straight game and is now 4-1-0 overall and 2-0-0 in conference play.
The game turned midway through the third period with the score at 2-1 in favor of SJU. Concordia had held the better of the offensive zone time in the final frame until the were whistled for a 2-minute cross checking penalty, and a 5-minute major penalty all on the same play.
Staked to at least 2-minutes of a 5-on-3 power play, the Johnnies scored three times over the next 3:58 to extend the lead to four goals and earn the sweep in the series.
St. John's scored the first two goals in the game. They opened the scoring with their first power-play strike at 10:14 of the first period. They added a second goal at the 7:00-minute mark of the second period and held a 2-goal lead despite being outshot in the game.
The Cobbers finally got on the board with a shorthanded goal. CC was killing off its third power play of the game when Cole O'Connell sent Ben Luedtke free on a breakaway. Luedtke was able to slide the puck past the SJU goalie for his first collegiate goal.
Luedtke's marker at 13:24 gave the CC offense new life and they spent the final 6-minutes of the middle period putting offensive pressure on St. John's.
Concordia would continue to get shots at the start of the third before the game changed with the two penalty calls.
The Cobbers outshot SJU 31-20 in the game. Jack Westlund had a game-high seven shots for CC.
Junior goalie Matt Fitzgerald made 15 saves in goal for Concordia.
UP NEXT: The Cobbers will have a 10-day beak before returning to play on Nov. 12 when they play a non-conference game at Hamline at 7 p.m.
