Special Teams Shine In Win At #10 Aurora

GENEVA, Ill. (12/30/22)---It had been 27 days since the Cobbers had last played a competitive game when they stepped on the ice against No.10-ranked Aurora (Ill.). But you would have never known that fact from the play of the Concordia special team's units.

Concordia scored a pair of power play goals, opened the game with a shorthanded goal and held the Spartans scoreless in their six power play chances to earn a 4-1 victory.

The Cobbers scored three unanswered goals in the second and third periods to record their third straight victory. CC is now 5-4-1 on the season.

The loss is only the third for Aurora in its 14 games this year. The Spartans are now 9-3-2.

Concordia got goals from four different players in the game. Ben Luedtke started the score line when he netted a shorthanded goal in the second minute of the opening period. The Cobbers were whistled for a hooking call at the 1:32 mark, and then Luedtke posted his third goal of the year just 13-seconds later. Cole O'Connell set up the opener to pick up his fifth helper of the year.

Aurora would tie the game in the final 7-minutes of the first frame, and the teams would skate to the first intermission tied at 1-1.

Freshman Joe Harguindeguy got the game-winning goal at the 7:12 mark of the second period. He scored his fourth goal of the year with help from Jaret Lalli and Nicholas Ness.

Harguindeguy's goal would be the only strike of the second stanza as CC held tight to a slim 2-1 advantage heading into the final 20 minutes of play.

The much-needed insurance goal came midway through the third when Caden Triggs came through with the first of two power play goals in a span of 4:55. The goal at 10:23 was Trigg's fourth of the year with Liam Haslam picking up his team-leading seventh assist.

Haslam would finish off the score line with his first collegiate goal for the Cobbers. He netted a PP goal at 15:18 to finish off the scoring. Triggs and Boe Bjorge were awarded the assists.

Concordia finished the game by going 2-for-8 on the power play. It is the second time in the last three games that the Cobbers have recorded multiple PP goals in a game.

Concordia held a 37-28 advantage in shots on goal for the game. O'Connell led all players with five shots.

Junior goalie Aaron Dickstein kept the Cobbers close for the first 49 minutes in the game until CC could open the game up with the two goals in the third. Dickstein, who was named the MIAC Defensive Player of the Week on Dec. 5, made 27 saves and is now 3-1-0 on the season.

UP NEXT: Concordia will finish off the 2022 calendar year when they face Aurora in the finale of the 2-game series on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. at the Fox Valley Arena in Geneva, Ill.