A Fulfilling 5-Point Weekend

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (11/24/19)---Tanner Okeson's goal in the first round of the shootout helped Concordia earn five points in their weekend series at St. John's. The two teams skated three periods and two overtime frame tied at 2-2 before Okeson helped gain the extra point for the game by winning the shootout.

The game goes in the official NCAA scorebook as a 2-2 overtime tie. The Cobbers earn two points in the league standings for the shootout win while the Johnnies get a single point for the tie and then the shootout loss.

Concordia is now 3-5-1 in all games this season and 1-2-1 in MIAC play. The five points gained from the weekend pushes the Cobbers into fifth place in the league standings. St. John's is now 2-2-3 overall and 1-1-2 in the MIAC. SJU has six league points.

Concordia carried over the momentum from Saturday night's 4-2 win with a goal in the first minute of play on Sunday. Senior Aaron Herdt put the Cobbers up 1-0 when he scored his third goal of the season just 50-seconds into the opening period of play. Tyler Bossert and Okeson recorded the assists on the play. Herdt, who went scoreless in the first six games of the season, now has three goals in the last three games.

Bossert's assist was his team-leading seventh of the year. His seven helpers are tied for the lead in the MIAC and his 10 overall points is second best in the league.

The Cobbers held a 1-0 lead after the first period and outshot the Johnnies 16-11 in the first 20 minutes of play.

The second period scoreboard belonged to St. John's as they scored two goals and took a 2-1 lead going into the final period. Concordia actually outshot the Johnnies 9-6 but SJU capitalized on a power play at 6:32 and then took the lead at 9:56.

The lead would stay at 2-1 until the latter stages of the third period. The Cobbers were staked to a power play at 12:20 and made it count. After holding the puck in the SJU zone, Concordia was rewarded at the 14:07 mark when Beau Wilmer slammed home his first goal of the season. Quinn Fuchs and Jacen Bracko were given the assists on the game-tying goal.

Concordia finished off the third period and a 1:21 of the first overtime by killing off a penalty. Both teams ha chances in the 5-minute 5-on-5 overtime period and then the 5-minute 3-on-3 session but each time the goalies were able to come up with the big save to keep the game deadlocked at 2-2.

St. John's went first in the shootout and Cobber goalie Jacob Stephan made the save as the Johnnie player made a move to his left. Okeson then won the extra point by firing a low shot that got by the SJU goalie.

Concordia outshot St. John's 38-27 for the game and 76-53 in the series. Herdt and junior defenseman Alex Stoley had six shots each to lead the Cobbers.

Stephan made 25 saves in goal for CC and is now unbeaten in his last three starts. He also lowered his goals against average to a team-best 2.37 for the year.

The Cobbers continued their success on the power play in the series. Concordia went 1-for-3 on the man-advantage situation and was 4-for-10 for the weekend. CC's penalty kill held St. John's to 1-for-6 for the game and 2-for-10 for the series.

UP NEXT: Concordia will have a break for the Thanksgiving holiday and then return to action when they host St. Thomas in a 2-game series on Dec. 6-7 at the Moorhead Sports Center. The Tommies are 5-2-1 overall and 3-1-0 in league play this year.