American Beauties

STORY LINE: The last time Concordia had a 7-game unbeaten streak, the movie American Beauty was walking away with the Academy Award for best motion picture. On Friday the Cobbers used their American Beauties to score four shorthanded goals in a span of 2:35 midway through the second period and roll over Hamline 7-0. The Cobbers scored a total of six goals in the decisive second frame as they ran their unbeaten streak to seven games and win streak to five.

RECORDS: Concordia is now 8-2-2 overall this year and remains unbeaten in MIAC play at 4-0-1. Hamline falls to 2-8-0 in all games and dips below the .500 mark in league play at 2-3-0.

STREAKS SKINNY: The 7-game unbeaten streak is the longest by a Cobber team since the 1999-2000 season when CC also went seven games without losing. Concordia would go on to earn a spot in the NCAA playoffs that year. The longest unbeaten streak in program history is 10 games which occurred back in 1990-91. The 5-game win streak is the longest since the 2016-17 season.    

NCAA RECORD STUFF: Concordia's four shorthanded goals in the second period is believed to be an NCAA record for most shorthanded goals in a single period. The span of 2:35 for the quartet of shortys is an NCAA Record for DI or DIII teams. The four shorthanded goals in the game ties for the second most in the history of Division III but it is the most in a single game since 1992. Mercyhurst (Pa.) scored five shorthanded goals against Scranton on Jan. 24, 1992.

THE BOSS MAN: Sophomore Tyler Bossert continues to rack up points in bunches in his first collegiate season. Bossert, who transferred to Concordia from NDSU, recorded a season-best five points in the series opener. He now has four straight multi-point games and upped his team-leading season point total to 26. He has six goals and 20 assists and is now third in Division III in total points. His 20 helpers is second in the nation. Bossert has at least one point in 11 of the team's 12 games.

THE BIG HERDT: Junior transfer Aaron Herdt scored one of the prettiest goals in the last 10 years for the Cobbers and finished the game with two goals and assist for three points. His trio of points pushed him into a tie for second place on the team in scoring with 19 points (11g, 8a). Herdt finished off a passing play which started with Bossert breaking down the right side on a semi-breakaway. Bossert then dropped the puck to Mario Bianchi at the bottom of the right faceoff circle. Bianchi then 1-timed a diagonal pass to Herdt who deftly put home the 1-timer from the left side of the crease.

M-A-T TOTALS: The M-A-T line of Mario Bianchi, Aaron Herdt and Tyler Bossert has now combined for 28 goals and 36 assists for 64 points. The three players are 1-2-3 in the MIAC in scoring and all three are in the Top 20 of Division III.

KEEP THAT PUCK: Freshman Parker Simonson netted his first collegiate goal. He got the second goal of the game at the 1:36 mark of the second period. It was the first of six CC goals in the period and one of two non-shorthanded strikes.

GETTING IN ON THE ACT: Joe Burgmeier, Marshall Barnes and Alex Stoley scored the other three goals for Concordia. The trio entered the game with a combined total of two goals on the season. Burgmeier and Barnes both pushed their season goal total to two while Stoley recorded his first goal of the year.

JACOB'S WALL: Junior goalie Jacob Stephan continues his breakout season. Last year Stephan had a 6-7-2 record with a 2.60 GAA and not a single shutout. On Friday he made 33 saves to post his third shutout of the season and push his season record to 6-1-1. Stephan lowered his season GAA to 1.61 and upped his save percentage to 94.9%. Stephan leads the MIAC in GAA, save percentage and wins and is tied for third in the nation in shutouts.                    

UP NEXT: Concordia will finish off the 2018 portion of their schedule when they host Hamline in the series finale on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. at the Moorhead Sports Center. The Cobbers will be looking for their second straight MIAC sweep.  

CONCORDIA vs. HAMLINE HIGHLIGHTS: