This Time Overtime Is Unkind

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. (3/01/14)—Heart Attack season continued for Concordia and this time it got the better of the Cobbers. Concordia went to overtime for the second straight MIAC playoff game but this time fell 4-3 to St. Thomas in the conference semifinals.

The Cobbers were forced to play two tournament games in less than 24 hours under the new MIAC playoff format. Concordia beat St. Catherine 2-1 in overtime on Friday night, hopped on a bus and drove to the Twin Cities and then played the Tommies on Saturday afternoon. All told, CC played 131 minutes of playoff hockey in a 23-hour span.

Concordia traded goals with St. Thomas throughout the entire game before falling in the ninth minute of overtime. The loss was only the second in the last 13 games for the Cobbers. CC ends its season with a 13-10-4 record marking the fifth straight season they have recorded at least 12 victories on the year. The Tommies, who won the MIAC regular-season title, move to the title game and are now 18-5-3 on the season.

The Cobbers got goals from three different players in the semifinal match-up. After St. Thomas scored at 4:31 of the opening period, senior captain Abby Taffe netted her second goal in the last four games when she scored an unassisted marker at 15:59 of the opening period. The Tommies would then take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission with a goal at 14:39.

Kaya Baker tied the game at 2-2 in the eighth minute of play in the second period. Her sixth goal of the season came at 7:26 and was assisted by Jess Nelson and Ellen Rethwisch. UST would then retake a one-goal lead in the final six minutes of play and take a 3-2 lead into the final period of play.

The lone goal came courtesy of freshman Bri Flynn. Flynn tied the game for the third time with her team-leading 11th goal of the season at the 6:13 mark. Her 11 goals is the most by a freshman since the 2010-11 season when Taffe had 18. Flynn also tied for the team lead in points with 15. Natasha Skala was credited with her first collegiate assist on the play.

The game would go back and forth for the remainder of the third period and into overtime before the Tommies won it at 8:27 of the extra session.

Cobber sophomore goalie Madison Denny was solid in net all game long and finished with a career-high 47 saves. St. Thomas netminder Alise Reidel made 15 saves to pick up the win.

Both teams scored one goal on the power play. Concordia was 1-for-2 on man-advantage situations while the Tommies went 1-for-5.