Early-Season Excellence Continues

BLAINE, Minn. (10/30/16)--- Concordia continued its success in the MIAC Showcase as they overcame a pair of one-goal deficits on two occasions and beat St. Mary's 3-2 in overtime.

The win is the second of the weekend at the season-opening MIAC Showcase event. The Cobbers were one of only two teams to win both games at this year's Showcase. Concordia is now 9-6-1 in the MIAC Showcase since the event started in 2009-10.

Once again Concordia was able to win a defensive battle. On Friday the Cobbers got a 35-save performance from freshman goalie Sam Nelson and beat St. Thomas 1-0. On Saturday it was fellow freshman goalie Jacob Stephen's turn to excel in his collegiate debut. Stephen stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced and kept the Cobbers in the game the entire three-plus periods.

St. Mary's (0-1-1) took their first one-goal lead at the 6:00-minute mark of the first period. That 1-0 lead would hold up until late in the second period.

Concordia erased their first one-goal deficit at 14:41 when senior Garrett Hendrickson fired home a shot from just above the crease. His shot went through a screen in front of the goal and slid just inside the left post. Freshman Eddie Eades earned his first collegiate point by getting the assist on the play.

The teams then traded goals in the middle of the third period. The Cardinals took a 2-1 lead at 12:24 but it would take the Cobbers only 46 seconds to respond. The Concordia fourth line would come up huge to tie the game at 13:10. Freshman Quinn Fuchs earned his first collegiate goal as he finished off a play from linemates Joe Burgmeier and Mark Huneke. Burgmeier and Huneke both earned their first collegiate assist on the goal.

The teams would skate the final 6:50 with four shots on net and both teams had a shot hit off the pipe in the final minutes of play.

Concordia wasted little time winning the game in overtime. Junior Zach Doerring picked up a loose puck in front of the St. Mary's goal and fired it past the Cardinal netminder.

The goal at 1:48 of overtime was Doerring's first of the season. Senior captain Jeremy Johnson was credited with the assist on the play.

For the second straight game Concordia was outshot but once again CC used quality goaltending and stifling defense to keep the goal total under three. SMU outshot the Cobbers 35-18.

Hendrickson led the team in shots for the second straight game. He put up five shots on Saturday which matched his total against UST. Jon Grebosky had three shots in the game.

EARLY-SEASON EXCELLENCE: Concordia is now 2-0 on the year which marks the second time in the last four years that the Cobbers have started the year with two straight wins.

WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will open the MIAC season next weekend when they host St. John's on Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5. The Johnnies were the only other team in the conference to post a perfect 2-0 record at the MIAC Showcase.