A Loud Friday Series-Opening Win

MOORHEAD, Minn. (12/06/19)---Concordia scored in all three periods and beat St. Thomas 4-2 in front of the loudest crowd at the Moorhead Sports Center in recent history.

The Cobbers scored twice in the first period and got single goals in the second and third frames to beat the Tommies in the first game of the 2-game series.

Concordia is now unbeaten in its last four games and ups its overall record to 4-5-1. After dropping their first two conference games of the year the Cobbers have rebounded and earned eight out of a possible nine points in the last three league games. CC is now an even 2-2-1 in MIAC play.

St. Thomas loses for the second time in the past three games and falls to 5-3-1 on the season. The Tommies are 3-2-0 in league play. The loss continues St. Thomas' struggles on Friday night. UST is now 1-3-1 in games played on Friday this year.   

Concordia controlled the early part of the first period and broke on the board with two goals in a span of 2:12 midway through the opener.

Christian Cakebread and Aaron Ryback set up the first goal as they cycled the puck behind the St. Thomas goal. Cakebread finally broke free and was able to wrap a pass around the goal to a wide open Jacen Bracko who 1-timed the puck over the Tommie goalie.   

The goal was Bracko's first of the season.

Another Cobber scored his first goal of the year to double the Concordia lead. Parker Simonson was able to get the puck behind the UST net and completed the wraparound goal at 10:46. Keaton Leininger and Tanner Okeson were credited with the assists.

St. Thomas would score the next two goals to tie the game at 2-2. The Tommies cut the lead to one goal when they got on the board in the final minute of the period. UST tied the game midway through the second stanza on an even-strength goal at 10:32.

Concordia would get the eventual game-winning goal on the power play. The Cobbers were staked to the man advantage after a slashing call at the 17:57. It would take senior Aaron Herdt 39-seconds to put CC up 3-2. He took a pass from Tyler Bossert on the left faceoff circle and then fired a shot into the top half of the goal.

The game winner at 18:36 was Herdt's team-leading fourth goal of the season. Bossert earned his team-best eighth helper of the year. He also has a team-high 11 points. Okeson earned his second assist of the night and has four for the season.

The final goal would be scored on an odd-man rush in the final two minutes of the third period. Quinn Fuchs picked up the puck just past mid-ice, skated down the left wing and then slid a pass to Jake Ellingson on the 2-on-1. Ellingson then rammed the puck into the goal from three feet and crashed into the goal and goalie.

The insurance tally was Ellingson's second of the season.

Concordia was outshot 31-18 for the game but had the better of the offensive zone time and had several chances miss the Tommie net.

Senior goalie Jacob Stephan stopped 29 shots and is now 3-0-1 in his last four starts.

The Cobbers went 1-for-6 on the power play as compared to 0-for-4 for the Tommies. Concordia's penalty kill unit stood tall in the third period when they shut down three consecutive UST power plays.

Concordia has only allowed two goals in the last 20 man-advantage situations.

UP NEXT: Concordia will try and extend its unbeaten streak when they finish the 2-game series with St. Thomas on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. at the Moorhead Sports Center.

CONCORDIA vs. ST. THOMAS HIGHLIGHTS