Last Goal Streak Wins Game
Concordia trailed 4-3 midway through the final period but then posted the last goal streak of the game and came away with a 5-4 win over St. Olaf in the series opener.
MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/21/19)---Concordia and St. Olaf traded goal-scoring streaks in the opener of the final series of the year with the Cobbers getting the last say and coming away with a 5-4 win.
The victory snaps a 5-game losing skid for Concordia. The Cobbers were winless in February but are now 7-17-0 overall and 5-12-0 in the MIAC.
Concordia gave up the first two goals of the game but saved their best for last and finished with the final two goals of the contest.
The Cobber offense kept the play in the Ole zone for most of the first period but didn't have a goal to show for their zone domination. Things got worse for CC when the Oles opened the scoring at 7:32 and then doubled the lead at 11:12.
Concordia head coach Mo Greiner called timeout to regroup the team and the tactic paid off as the Cobbers would get on the board less than 3:30 later. Sophomore Libby Hinrichs scored the first of her two consecutive goals at 14:33 of the opening frame to get Concordia within one after the first period. Brenna Mjoness and Jordie Egerdahl were credited with the assists.
The Cobbers tied the game in the sixth minute of the second period when Hinrichs scored her fifth goal of they year by slamming home a rebound from the left side of the net. Seniors Ally Wiitala and Amanda Flemming got the helpers on the goal at 5:47.
Mjoness staked Concordia to its first lead of the game when she sniped a shot into the top left corner of the net from the right wing after CC broke free on a 2-on-1 break from the center ice area. Kaitlyn Page and Paige Jensen had the assists on Mjoness' third goal of the year at 7:47.
Concordia seemed to be in control of the game at that point but St. Olaf would have a pair of answers. The Oles tied the game at the 15:32 mark of the second and then took a 4-3 lead midway through the third period.
The Cobbers then finished the game with their own 2-goal streak. Flemming tied the game on the power play at 12:46 of the final frame when she tapped home a rebound from the top of the crease. Maddie Ellingson and Megan Mohr set up Flemming's fourth goal of the year.
Both teams pushed to try and find the game winner, and just when you thought the game was headed for overtime, senior Sara Baumann – who was playing in the penultimate game of her career – came up with the final answer of the night. She took a cantering pass from underneath the red line and snapped home a top-shelf shot from in between the face-off circles.
Hinrichs and Page both earned their second assists of the night on the game-winning goal at 18:06. The goal completed a career-high 3-point game for Hinrichs. The goal also gave her the team lead in points for the season with 12.
Concordia outshot the Oles 44-16 for the game. Wiitala had a career-high 10 shots on goal in the game. Flemming tied her career high with nine shots.
Freshman goalie Kiana Flaig made 12 saves in goal for the Cobbers and now has 658 for the season which is eight stops away from tying the school record.
INSIDE STAT INFO: The 5-goal output for the Cobbers marks the third time this season they have scored at least five goals in a game. CC is 3-0 in those games.
INSIDE STAT INFO II: Concordia entered the game without a double-digit point scorer for the season. The Cobbers now have three players with at least 10 points on the year. Libby Hinrichs leads the team with 12 points while Amanda Flemming has 11 and Ally Wiitala has 10.
UP NEXT: Concordia will finish off the 2020 season by hosting St. Olaf in the annual Senior Celebration game. The Cobbers will honor their seniors before the game on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m.
CONCORDIA vs. ST. OLAF HIGHLIGHTS: