Late Power Play Goals Help Tie School Record

ASHLAND, Wis. (12/15/13)—Caleb Suderman and David Velich scored power play goals in the final two minutes of play to help Concordia beat Northland 5-3 and tie a school record for wins before the Christmas break.

The two power play goals, which were scored after a Northland player received a 5-minute major for contact to the head, gave the Cobbers the victory after the game had been tied at 3-3 since early in the third period.

The win is the eighth of the season which ties the program record for wins before the Christmas break holiday. Concordia also had eight wins before Christmas in the 2002-03 season and the 1980-1981 campaign. CC is now 8-3-1 on the season. The 1980-81 team had the best overall record before the break as they went 8-1-1 before Christmas.

Concordia never trailed against Northland. The Cobbers took one-goal leads in the first and second periods but each time the Lumberjacks responded by scoring a goal to tie the game. CC started the scoring with a goal by Jordie Bancroft in the third minute of play in the opening period of play. For Bancroft it was his fifth goal of the year on assists by Andrew Deters and Garrett Hendrickson.

Northland (2-11-0) tied the game less than four minutes later and then the teams traded goals in the final five minutes of the period. Jeremy Johnson scored the first of his two goals in the game at 10:30 to give CC a 2-1 lead before the Lumberjacks tied the game at 2-2 at the 15:53 mark. Dan Hrabowych and goalie Kelly Andrew got the assists on third goal of the season.

Johnson then scored the only goal of the second period when he beat the Northland goalie in the fourth minute of the middle frame. Suderman was credited with the assist on the goal as he continues to rack up points in his senior season.

The game was tied for the final time at 7:52 of the third period and that set the stage for the late-game Cobber power play heroics. The Lumberjacks were whistled for the 5-minute major at 18:06 and CC made them pay just 29-seconds later when Suderman scored from the point to pick up his team-leading ninth goal of the year. Deters and Bancroft got the assists on the game-winning goal. Suderman leads the nation in goals by a defenseman and is tied for points by a defenseman (15).

Velich finished off the scoring with the second power play goal at the 19:09 mark. Jordan Christianson and Rylan Henley were the ninth and 10^th Concordia players to get their names on the scoresheet for the game as they earned the assists on the play.

Concordia outshot Northland 39-15 in the game. CC put up 85 shots in the two-game series. Andrew made 12 saves in his first start of the season while Lumberjack goalie Jesse DiLillo stopped 34 shots.

The Cobbers have an extended break for the Christmas holiday break and will return to action when they host UW-River Falls on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 5 p.m.