Season-Opening Streak Snapper

MOORHEAD, Minn. (11/4/16) —Concordia used its experience and talented first-year class to score three consecutive goals in the first and second periods and beat Wis.-Stevens Point 3-1.

The Cobbers jumped out to a quick lead in the first period and never looked back in the season-opening victory over the Pointers who fall to 1-2 on the year. 

The Cobbers got on the board first with a goal from Megan Dondelinger at the 6:39 mark of the first period. The sophomore found herself in alone on a breakaway after receiving a pass from Sage Barta and she made no mistakes with a shot that found the top right corner of the net. 

The goal from Dondelinger marked her first goal as a Cobber — she tallied only six shots on net last season. 

Concordia doubled its lead seven minutes later when a shot from the point by Ellen Rethwisch was deflected out front by Chelsey Petrich and finally slotted in by Jess Nelson. The goal at 13:25 doubled the Cobbers' lead and helped CC take a 2-0 lead into the first break.

Concordia was able to score its third straight goal of the game when Tori Davis cut across the middle of the ice before sniping a shot from the right slot to the goaltender's glove side. The goal at 2:25 continued Davis' hot scoring streak from last year when she led the team in goals with 17. 

Cobber senior goalie Andrea Klug showed why she earned All-Conference Honorable Mention honors last year as she stopped 27 of the 28 shots she faced shots in her season debut. 

The only goal Krug allowed came at the 2:55 mark of the third period when Pointers' forward Meredith Ingbretson scored from in close. Ingebretson knocked home her own rebound from the top of the crease after receiving a pass from Maddie Monroe. 

Stevens Point pulled its goalie with over two minutes left to play in the third period and then Concordia was whistled for a cross checking penalty to give the Pointers a 6-on-4 advantage for a full two minutes. Klug and the CC penalty kill unit that there would be no late-game rally as they held Stevens Point to only two shots on goal for the entire two minutes.   

KILLING TIME: The Cobbers' penalty kill was stellar in the opener. Concordia held Stevens Point to only six shots on four power play opportunities. Neither team was able to capitalize on their power play opportunities as the two teams combined to go 0-5 on the night. 

SHARE THE WEALTH: Concordia had six players tally points on the night. Senior Chelsey Petrich was the only Cobber with more than one point and Tori Davis picked up where she left off last season with a fantastic goal in the second period.

SEASON-OPENING REVENGE: The Cobbers' 3-1 win reversed a two-year trend of CC losing the season opener to Stevens Point. Last year the Pointers beat Concordia 5-4 in the season opener and at the start of the 2014-15 campaign UWSP prevailed 3-1. On both occasions the Pointers would go on to sweep the opening series of the year.

STREAK SNAPPER: The win ended a six-game winless streak against Stevens Point. CC was 0-5-1 against UWSP in the last three seasons. The victory was also the first in a season opener since the 2012-13 opener.

WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will face off with Wis.-Stevens Point again tomorrow at 1 p.m. on the north rink at the Moorhead Sports Center.