BMI Line Index Is Unhealthy For Saints In Series-Opening Win

MOORHEAD, Minn. (01/28, 22)---Concordia returned to the Moorhead Sports Center after four games away from Moorhead. It took the Cobbers a full 10 minutes to recover from their road trip before they scored four unanswered goals and rolled past St. Scholastica 4-1 in the series opener.

Concordia allowed a goal in the seventh minute against the Saints but then shut down the St. Scholastica attack for the final 53 minutes of play to earn their third straight win – and third consecutive in conference play.

The Cobbers are now 6-2-1 in the MIAC and own sole possession of second place in the league standings. The 3-game win streak has pushed Concordia's overall mark to 9-7-2 on the season. The Saints fall to 6-8-2 in all games and 3-5-1 in league play.

The line of Brady Tatro, Mason Plante and Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe, proved to be the difference in the game. The trio accounted for the three even-strength tallies for CC. The fourth goal came on the power play at the end of the second frame.

Henkemeyer-Howe started the Cobbers' quartet of goals, but the set up on the opener was the highlight of the play. Defeseman Jaret Lalli kept the puck in at the blue line and then lofted a backhand pass in between the faceoff circles. Plante won the race for the puck and got his glove on the puck which dropped right to his stick. Plante then slid a pass to Henkemeyer-Howe just inside the right faceoff dot. Henkemeyer-Howe then 1-timed a shot past the surprised Scholastica goalie.

Concordia took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission when Hekemeyer-Howe returned the favor to Plante. Henkemeyer-Howe slid a backhand up the wall for a quick breakout pass. Tatro redirected the outlet pass into the middle of the ice where it found Plante in stride on a breakaway. Plante buried the breakaway by going to his backhand and flipping the puck into the goal.

The go-ahead strike at 17:52 was Plante's fifth of the season.

Concordia would have to wait until the back end of the second period to grab a 2-goal lead. CC was staked to the first power play of the game on a slashing call at the 17:16 mark. Tyler Bossert converted on the man-advantage situation when he redirected Lalli's shot from the left point. Bossert was standing on top of the crease and got his stick on the shot to record his seventh goal of the year. Cole O'Connell recorded the second assist on the play as he fed Lalli at the point.

Bossert has now scored five goals in the last seven games for CC after scoring only two goals in the first 11 games. Bossert added to his league-leading point total. He now has 26 points on the year and 93 for his career.

The lone goal in the third period came courtesy of the Plante-Henkemeyer-Howe-Tatro line. Plante scored his second goal of the game when he took a drop pass from Henkemeyer-Howe at the top of the left faceoff circle and let go a twisted wrister that went off a Saints' defender and into the top right corner of the net.

The goal gave Plante three points for the game. It is his second 3-point game of the year. He also had two goals and an assist against Wis.-Superior. Plante now has 10 points on the points.

Henkemeyer-Howe also joins the double-digit point club. His goal and two helpers give him 11 points for the year.

Concordia now has seven players with at least 10 points for the season. The Cobbers lead the MIAC in goals scored with 64.

The Cobbers outshot the Saints 39-27 in the game. CC was 1-for-1 on the power play, while St. Scholastica was held scoreless in their two extra skater opportunities. Concordia has now scored five power play goals in the last three games and is 5-for-13 on the PP during that stretch.

Senior Jackson Nelson made several big saves in the second period to keep the Cobbers in the lead. He finished with 26 saves to record his seventh win of the year.       

UP NEXT: Concordia will go for its second straight conference sweep, and third of the season, when they host the Saints on Saturday, Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. CC is 3-4-1 on Saturdays this season, while the St. Scholastica is 2-3-0.