Cold, Blustery Comeback Falls Short

MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/15/13)—Concordia scored its fastest back-to-back goals of the season but it wasn't enough as the Cobbers fell 3-2 to Bethel on a cold, rainy and blustery day in Moorhead.

Concordia (3-9-1/2-5-0 MIAC) spotted Bethel three goals before their late-game comeback came up just short. The loss ends the Cobbers' two-game winning streak. The Royals win for the second time in four games and improve to 5-9 overall and 2-5-0 in league play.

The game was played in less than ideal conditions. The temperature at kickoff was 43 degrees and the game was played with a slight drizzle the entire 90 minutes. Adding to the degree of difficulty on the day was a 15-25 mph wind that was blowing straight across the field.

The conditions led to the style of game which featured very little passing in the midfield and was played from defensive backline to defensive backline.

Bethel had one golden chance in the first five minutes of the game. A Royal attacker got behind the Cobber defense and beat goalie Peter Runquist but defender Nick Koerbitz preserved the early-game shutout by sliding the ball off the goal line as it was headed into the open goal.

The Royals got on the board in the ninth minute on a shot from eight yards out on the right side of the goal. After the ball was played wide, Matthew Pisarski connected on his team-leading ninth goal of the year.

The teams would trade chances for the remainder of the half with Bethel clinging to a 1-0 lead at the break.

Bethel added to their lead at 57:31 when the ball bounced at the top of the CC penalty area and Danny Jaderholm was able to get possession and shoot it into the vacated goal. The third BU goal came in the 81^st minute when Isaac Druvenga was left wide open on the right wing and he calmly slotted the ball into the lower part of the net.

Concordia's frantic comeback started with less than three minutes to play in the second. Cobber midfielder Kristian Reiersgord played the ball wide to Alexandre Cyusa on the byline of the penalty area on the left wing. Cyusa then flicked the ball over the back of the Bethel defense where Brett Wegleitner ran on to the pass and one-timed the ball into the back of the net. The goal at 87:25 continued Wegleitner's torrid scoring pace. He has now scored at least one goal in four straight games and seven of the past nine.

Wegleitner leads Concordia in goals and total points with nine goals and one assist for 19 points.

Concordia would make the game really interesting 34 seconds later when sophomore Dami Adegunle collected his first goal as a Cobber. Adegunle received a pass from Sage Thornbrugh on the left wing. He took a pair of dribbles towards the middle of the field and then unleashed a curling, screamer that bent into the far corner of the goal. The assist was Thornbrugh's fourth in the last three games.  

Concordia had several throw-in opportunities deep in the Bethel defensive end in the final two minutes of play but could never come up with the equalizer.

The Cobbers outshot Bethel 11-8 in total shots while the Royals had a 5-4 edge in shots on goal. Both teams only had one corner kick in the game.

Runquist made two saves in goal for CC while BU goalie Chris Scott also stopped two shots to earn the win.

Concordia will now play their final non-conference games of the year when they travel to Presentation (S.D.) and Buena Vista (Iowa) on Sunday and Monday.