A Similar Semifinal Situation

ST. PAUL, Minn. (2/27/16)—For the sixth straight season Concordia and St. Thomas met in the MIAC semifinals and for the fourth straight year the game was settled by a single goal.

The Cobbers conceded a goal in the fourth minute of the third period and lost 2-1 in Mendota Heights .

Concordia had a power play in the final 1:11 of the third period and released a furious attack on goal but wasn't able to come up with the game winner.

The Cobbers end the season with a 14-12-1 record while St. Thomas improves to 19-5-2 and advances to host the MIAC title game against Bethel.

The 2-1 loss marks the first time all season that Concordia lost when they conceded two or fewer goals in a game. CC entered the game with a 12-0-1 record in 2016 when they had allowed fewer than three goals.

The game was almost dead even through two periods of play. St. Thomas scored midway through the first period while Concordia countered with a goal midway through the second frame. At the end of 40 minutes of play the Tommies held a slim 23-19 edge in shots on goal.

Concordia was in a similar situation in the MIAC quarterfinal game when they were tied 1-1 with St. Mary's. In that game the Cobbers scored midway through the third, added an empty-net goal in the final minute and won 3-1.

There would be no quarterfinal repeat as St. Thomas connected on the game winner at 3:49 of the third and then held on for the win.

The other similarity to the quarterfinal game was that senior defenseman Hannah Johnston scored a huge goal for CC. On Tuesday she recorded the game winner and on Saturday she tied the game at 1-1 with an even-strength goal at 13:36 of the second period.

The goal was Johnston's fifth of the season and was assisted by Kristin Drechsel.

The Cobbers took that momentum and dominated the final six minutes of the middle period. CC allowed only one shot on goal in that stretch and made the UST goalie come up with three big stops.

The last 1:35 was a flurry in the UST end for CC. The Cobbers pulled junior goalie Andrea Klug with 1:25 left in the period and were then put on the power play 14-seconds later. CC kept Klug off the ice and swarmed the UST goal with a 6-on-4 situation but never came away with the game winner.

St. Thomas outshot the Cobbers 36-26 for the game. Jess Nelson, Amber Schaack and Anna Westmark each had a team-high four shots on goal.

Klug finished with the game with 34 saves.