74-Second Span Stops MIAC Playoff Run

NORTHFIELD,  Minn. (2/28/14)—A pair of goals 74-seconds apart at the start of the second period proved to be the difference in Concordia's 5-3 loss against St. Olaf in the first round of the MIAC playoffs.

The Cobbers and Oles scored three goals each in the first 20 minutes and last 25 minutes but the start of the second period sent St. Olaf to the conference semifinals.

Concordia ends their season with 12-9-5 record while the Oles continue on with a 12-10-4 overall mark.

St. Olaf started the postseason with a goal in the first two minutes of play. The Oles go on the board at the 1:45 on a goal from the stick of Peter Lindblad – the player who put the Cobbers into the playoffs with his game-tying goal in the final 20-seconds against Augsburg in the regular-season finale.

Concordia countered with an even-strength goal less than six minutes later. Freshman Garrett Hendrickson scored his 10^th goal of the year at 7:09. Jordie Bancroft and Andrew Deters received the assists for the score.

The Oles then started the first of three straight goals midway through the first period when Mark Rath scored at 11:42 to five St. Olaf a 2-1 lead.

Trailing by a single goal, Concordia started the middle frames with hopes of tilting the ice in their favor after being outshot 14-8 in the first 20 minutes of play. That soon changed when the Oles went back-to-back at 3:07 and 4:21 to seize a 4-1 lead.

The Cobbers then started on the comeback trail by netting a power-play goal at 16:38 of the second period. Charlie Aus brought CC within two goals with his third goal of the year. Deters picked up his second assist of the night. Deters would then get Concordia within a single goal in the fourth minute of play in the third period. He tipped in a shot from the point off the stick of Jordan Kresbach and suddenly it was 4-3. Hendrickson was also given an assist on the play.

Concordia then peppered the Ole goal for five shots in the next three minutes but St. Olaf survived the storm and got the all-important insurance goal at 7:25.

From that point forward CC outshot the Oles 7-4 but was unable to come up with another goal.               

The Cobbers outshot St. Olaf 15-7 in the final period, 32-21 in the last two periods and 40-35 for the game. Concordia goalie Kelly Andrew stopped 30 shots while Ole goalie Steve Papciak made 37 saves.

Concordia was 1-for-4 on the power play and held St. Olaf scoreless in their three man-advantage situations.   

Deters' three points in the game gives him 34 for the season which currently leads the MIAC. It is the most points by a Cobber player since Brady Burgess had 37 in 1999-00. Hendrickson wound up with 23 points which is the most by any freshman in the MIAC. Teammate Caleb Suderman was tops in the league in scoring by a defenseman (30 pts.).