3rd Period Success Leads To 2nd Straight Series Sweep

MOORHEAD, Minn. (1/28/23)---After two periods of play in the series finale, Concordia and St. Olaf were as even as could be. The score was tied at 2-2, the shot total was deadlocked at 15-15 and both teams had scored a power play goal.

The third period turned into Cobber Time as Concordia scored three goals and held the Oles to only three shots on goal. The final 20-minutes of play gave the Cobbers their second straight 5-2 win over St. Olaf, and helped CC earn its second consecutive conference sweep.

The 4-game win streak has taken Concordia from outside the playoff picture to inside the cut line for the 5-team tournament. The Cobbers are now 6-4-0 in the MIAC which is good for 17 points and fifth place in the standings – only two points out of third place. CC is back to the .500 mark in all games as they move to 9-9-1.

The first period featured 2-goal spurts for each team. Concordia opened the game by scoring two goals in a span of less than 3-minutes, and St. Olaf finished the frame by scoring their two goals in a span of  2:19.  

Kevin Ness opened the scoring with a power play goal at 2:43. His second goal of the season was assisted by Mason Plante and Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe.

The second Ness brother would give the Cobbers a 2-0 lead when he also netted his second strike of the year. Nicholas Ness tipped in a shot from Cole O'Connell at 5:41 to double the CC lead. Jaret Lalli had the second assist on the play. For O'Connell it would be his team-leading 16th point of the year.

Concordia appeared to be cruising into the first break with a comfortable 2-goal cushion. That's when St. Olaf posted an even-strength goal at 16:11, followed by a power play marker at 16:11 – and suddenly the game was tied at 2-2.

The score would stay deadlocked until midway through the third period when Henkemeyer-Howe decided to go solo and change the outcome of the game in the Cobbers' favor. Henkemeyer-Howe took control of the puck in the middle of the neutral zone. He then skated to his left and walked past the left defenseman for the Oles. Henkemeyer-Howe then set his sights on the goal and rushed the net. He slid the puck off his stick and under the St. Olaf goalie's pad right before he crashed into the net.

The steamroller goal was Henkemeyer-Howe's second of the series and eighth of the year. He had gone six games without scoring before Friday's opener with the Oles. Henkemeyer-Howe had a goal and an assist in both wins on the weekend and now has 15 points for the season.

Kevin Ness and Hanson O'Leary would add empty-net goals in the final 71-seconds of play to bring the final score line to 5-2. Ness' second goal of the game was set up by an extraordinary effort from his brother. Nicholas Ness went down to block a shot in the Cobbers' end, got up and won the race to the puck before feeding his brother on a perfect 2-on-1 pass.

Concordia used its 9-3 edge in shots in the third period to outshoot the Oles 24-18 for the game.

Both teams were 1-for-2 on the power play in the finale.

Junior Matt Fitzgerald continues to have the hot hand in goal for the Cobbers. He turned aside 16 shots to record his fourth straight win. Fitzgerald is now 5-1 on the year and lowered his team-leading GAA to 2.34.
   
UP NEXT: The Cobbers will go back on the road for another key MIAC match-up. CC will face Augsburg in a 2-game series on Feb. 3-4 in Minneapolis. The Auggies are currently in fourth place in the standings with 18 points.