Rollercoaster Ride On Senior Celebration Day

MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/18/23)---The annual Senior Day Celebration turned into a Six Flags Over Moorhead rollercoaster ride for the Cobbers.

Morgan Sauvageau's last-second in the third period completed Concordia's 2-goal, third-period comeback that tied the score at 3-3 and sent the Cobbers into a frenzy. Unfortunately, the ride turned down the tracks in the second minute of overtime when CC gave up the game-winning goal.

Concordia (6-18-1, 3-14-1 MIAC) honored its three seniors before the game, and then played catch-up for the final 45:54 of the game.

St. Mary's (8-15-2, 5-11-2 MIAC) went to the lead in the second-half of the first period when they scored an even-strength goal at 13:59 of the opening frame.

Sauvageau would bring the score level for the first of two times when she scored just :35-seconds into the second period. Paige Hanson and Jerica Friese got the assists on the goal that tied the game at 1-1.

The Cardinals then bolted to a 2-goal advantage with strikes at 16:34 of the second and then 4:39 of the third.

Sophomore Abbey Hardwick, who scored the shootout game winner on Friday, started the CC comeback trail when she netted her third goal of the year midway through the third. Sauvageau and Emma Fetch were credited with the assists on the tally that brought the Cobbers within one at 3-2.

The thrilling game-tying goal came after Cobber head coach Mo Greiner pulled goalie Kiana Flaig in favor of the extra attacker. The tactic paid off when Hardwick and McKenzie Oelkers combined to keep the puck in the offensive zone on the near boards.

Hardwick continued on with the play and knocked the puck behind the goal to Friese, who quickly fired a backhand pass out in front of the net. The puck somehow snuck under the stick of the SMU goalie who had dropped to her knees to block the centering attempt.

The precision pass found Sauvageau who was skating between the faceoff circles. She then 1-timed a shot that snuck inside the right corner of the post and tied the game at 3-3 with :06-seconds left in regulation.  

St. Mary's won the draw to start the OT session, and then held the puck in the Cobber zone for the first :42-seconds of play. Concordia was able to get the puck in the SMU end, but then gave up the game winner on a long breakout pass and a driver to the net.

Concordia was outshot 32-16 for the game. Neither team scored on the power play. The Cobbers were 0-for-1 on the PP, and held the Cardinals scoreless in their four attempts.

Senior goalie Kiana Flaig made 27 saves in the game. She finished the season with 485 stops which was second in the MIAC. Flaig ends her Cobber career with 1,764 saves which is No.2 on the school's all-time list.  

THE COBBERS' GAME-TYING GOAL