Offensive Zone Passing Prowess Plucks Pipers

MOORHEAD, Minn. (11/21/23)---Concordia proved the sentiment – there's nothing better on Thanksgiving week than home cooking – on Tuesday as they stayed unbeaten in Moorhead with a 3-1 non-conference win over Hamline.

The Cobbers never trailed in their final game before the holiday. They scored a single goal in the second period, one in the first seven minutes of the third period, to jump to a 2-0 lead and then added an insurance marker with 6:12 left in the third after the Pipers cut the lead to a single goal midway through the final frame.

The victory puts Concordia back on the winning path. CC is 5-1-1 in all games this season. Hamline loses for the fourth straight time and is now 3-6-0.

Neither team was able to score in the opening 20 minutes of play. Both teams limited chances from around the goal and there were 16 combined shots on net.

The game changed in the fifth minute of the second period when Caden Triggs dropped his shoulder, cut behind the net and then laid out a perfect pass to Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe. Henkemeyer-Howe was standing alone at the top of the crease and 1-timed home his team-leading fourth goal of the year.

Ben Luedtke would double the lead at the 6:26 mark of the third period. He was the recipient of a nifty passing play between Bauer Barry and Paul Huglen. Huglen drove the puck deep in the Hamline zone and dropped off a pass to Barry, who sprinted into the Piper zone from his spot on the blue line. Barry 1-timed a perfect pass to Luedtke at the left side of the net, and all Luedtke had to do was redirect the puck into the open net.

The goal was Luedtke's first of the year.

Hunter Olson capped the score line with another goal resulting from the Cobbers' offensive zone passing prowess. Henkemeyer-Howe worked the puck out of the left corner and slid it to the side of the net for Triggs. Triggs controlled the puck, skated behind the goal and gave it up to All-American Liam Haslam, who slid the puck between the circles for a wide-open Olson to bury the 1-timer at 13:38.

The assist was Haslam's second of the game, and he is now tied for the team lead in that stat category with five.   

Concordia held a 27-25 edge in shots on goal. Neither team scored on the power play in the back-and-forth game that featured only three penalties. CC was 0-for-1 on the power play and held the Pipers scoreless in their two chances.

Freshman goalie Dane Couture stopped 24 shots to pick up his second win of the year. He is now 2-0-0 for the season.

UP NEXT: The same two teams will play in the regular-season conference series after the Thanksgiving break. The Cobbers will travel to St. Paul to face the Pipers on Dec. 1-2.   

CONCORDIA vs. HAMLINE HIGHLIGHTS