Cobbers Prove Sports Adage In Series-Finale Loss

MOORHEAD, Minn. (01/06/24)---There's a saying in sports: "The score wasn't indicative of the game." Most of the time that isn't true but on Saturday, it was clearly the case as the Cobbers lost 6-3 to No.2-ranked St. Scholastica in the series finale.

For the second straight game, the teams went back and forth in a high-quality college hockey game. Unfortunately for Concordia, they allowed three goals in the final 6:49 of the third period – two of which were empty-net scores – and dropped the 3-goal decision.

Neither team had more than a 1-goal lead through the entire first 59 minutes of play until the Saints put up an empty-net goal at 19:11 and then added a second from 175 feet with 2 seconds left on the clock.

The Cobbers settled for a split in the series and are now 7-5-1 overall. CC is 3-3-0 through its first six games in conference play. St. Scholastica puts an end to its 2-game losing streak and is now 11-2-0 in all contests and leads the MIAC with a 5-1-0 league mark.

Concordia only led for a 7-minute span in the first period. Junior Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe opened the scoring when he put home a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle on the power play at 12:58. Tal Halliday and Cole O'Connell had the assists on Henkemeyer-Howe's sixth strike of the season. It would be the first of two helpers on the day for Halliday.  

The Cobbers appeared to be headed to the first intermission with a 1-goal lead, but then the Saints got a tip-in goal with 8 seconds left in the opening frame and the score was tied after 20 minutes of play.

St. Scholastica took its first lead of the game at 4:29 of the second period, and then Concordia returned the late-period favor by scoring with 10 seconds left in the second.

Caden Triggs was the recipient of a fortunate bounce of the puck for CC. Sophomore Joe Harguindeguy took a pass on the left side of the goal and was going to hammer a 1-time shot on goal. He ended up barely making contact and the puck rolled right to Triggs, who was standing alone at the top of the crease. Triggs buried the puck, and the teams went to the second intermission deadlocked as well.

St. Scholastica grabbed its second lead when they scored midway through the third period. The lead was short-lived as the Cobbers converted a sweet odd-man rush on the penalty kill and evened the score 1:42 later.

Triggs set up the goal by racing through the neutral zone. He waited until the very last moment to eliminate the lone Scholastica defender and throw it to the other side of the goal, where Ben Luedtke 1-time the bunny before crashing into the net.

The Saints won the game with a goal 1:27 after Triggs tied the game. The score at 13:11 proved to be the game winner and was the first of three in the final 6:49.

Concordia outshot the Saints 26-21 in the game. Kevin Ness led all players with five shots.

Matt Fitzgerald stopped 15 shots and is now 5-3-1 on the season.

UP NEXT:  Concordia will finish off its non-conference schedule next weekend when they play at Wis.-Stevens Point on Friday, Jan. 12 and then at Wis.-Stout on Saturday, Jan. 13.