You Have Got To Be Kidding Me

MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/14/14)—No words that can sufficiently describe the strange turn the Cobber season has taken since the start of January. In a "not even Hollywood would dare make this up" scenario, Concordia scored with just 2-seconds left on the clock in the third period to tie St. Mary's and then won it 5-4 in overtime on a brilliant end-to-end rush from senior Joe Becker.  

Overtime continues to be the strange reoccurring twist of fate during the 2014 calendar year for the Cobbers. Since Jan. 1, CC has played 12 games and nine of those have gone to overtime. Concordia is now 3-2-4 in extra period games. Overall the Cobbers have played in 10 overtime games this season and 36 since Chris Howe became head coach in 2008-09.

The latest installment of "can you top this OT storyline" was even more wild than the nine previous overtime scripts in 2013-14. Concordia rolled to a 3-0 lead 26 minutes into the contest with the Cardinals but then sat around and watched SMU counter with three goals in a span of 1:08 in the third period to take a 4-3 lead.  

All seemed lost for the Cobbers as they had a faceoff in their own end with 39-seconds left. The Cobbers were able to get control of the puck with just under 20-seconds left and made a quick rush up the ice. CC pulled goalie Kelly Andrew and controlled the puck in the St. Mary's end with just under 10-seconds remaining in regulation. The puck eventually found its way back to the right point where defenseman Charlie Aus let go a low slap shot that somehow eluded a pile of bodies in front of the net and found the far side of the goal. The Cardinal goalie had no clue as to where the puck was as it made its way through a maze of eight players.

Playing like a team who just received a pardon from the Governor, Concordia pushed its way back into attack in the overtime period and had a flurry of shots in the first 1:30 of play. The puck was cleared into the Cobber zone and Becker eventually gained control by the blue line. He darted up the left side of the ice, sprinted past the SMU defense and cut hard to the net just under the left faceoff circle. He was then able to stickhandle the puck around the goalie and slide it into the open right side of the goal after the netminder had tried to stop him from cutting across the face of the goal.   

The win keeps Concordia on track for its second straight MIAC playoff berth and third in the last four years. The Cobbers are now 12-7-5 in all games and 6-5-4 in league play. CC now needs two points in its final regular season game to clinch a playoff spot.

Aus got Concordia on the board in the opening period when he finished off a combination passing attack on the power play. After the Cobbers held the puck in the SMU end for the entire 1:20 of the man-advantage situation, Aus was set up for the opening goal of the game. His slap shot tally at 9:21 was assisted by Garrett Hendrickson and Andrew Deters. The tandem would reenact their roles as playmakers on the second goal when Hendrickson laid off a pretty behind-the-back pass for Jordie Bancroft who went "bar down" from the right faceoff circle for his ninth goal of the year.

Cobber captain Caleb Suderman would finish off Concordia's three-goal lead to start the game when he netted his team-leading 16^th goal of the season at 5:43 of the second period – just 1:10 after Bancroft's goal. Chris Beede earned the first of his two assists on the play.

After St. Mary's scored four straight goals it was Suderman and Deters who set up the improbable game-tying goal. The two continue to go head-to-head for the team, and conference, lead in points this season. The three assists now give Deters an MIAC-best 29 points. Suderman is one point behind at 28 points. Deters has 22 assists which is tops in the conference and fifth in the nation while Suderman continues to lead all of Division III in scoring by a defenseman.

Concordia outshot St.Mary's 36-28 for the game. Andrew stopped 24 shots and is now 4-1-2 on the season. Cardinal goalie Phil Heinle was credited with 31 saves.

Both teams had one power play goal in the game. CC was 1-for-6 on the power play while SMU went 1-for-3.

The Cobbers will try and clinch a playoff berth when the two teams finish off their two-game series on Saturday at 2 p.m.