Newcomers Shine In MIAC Opener

SARTELL, Minn. (11/11/16)—A five-goal first period sparked  Concordia to a 6-2 win in the MIAC opener against St. Benedict on Friday.

The Cobbers scored in the third minute of the game and then added four more in a span of 8:45 starting midway through the first period to remain unbeaten on the season.

Concordia wins the battle of the unbeaten on the year. CC is now 2-0-1 in all games and 1-0-0 in league play while the Blazers drop their first game of the year and fall to 2-1-0 and 0-1-0 in conference play.

A pair of freshmen bookended the Cobbers' scoring list as Amanda Flemming and Maddie Ellingson tallied the first and last goals of  the league opener.

Flemming got Concordia on the board in the third minute when she scored an even-strength goal at 2:39. Fellow freshman Ally Wiitala earned her first collegiate point with an assist on the play.

The Cobbers really turned up the heat on the Blazers when they scored four times in a span of 8:45 starting at the 9:26 mark. All-Conference forward Tori Davis netted the first of her two goals when she scored at 9:26. Jessica Kongelf was credited with the assist on the play.

Emily Goff scored the eventual game-winning goal just 1:10 later when she netter her first goal of the year at 10:36. Freshman Mackenzie Lundeen recorded her first collegiate point with the assist.

Davis then scored the first of two straight power play goals for CC. She finished off a play from Morgan Bruns and Josee Lundgren at 12:27 and then Jess Nelson tied Davis for the team lead in goals when she sniped her third of the season at 18:11. Sophomore Abbie Canton and senior Amber Schaack were credited with the assists.

St. Benedict got a goal back in the final minute of the first period and then the teams skated through a scoreless second period.

The Blazers brought the score line to 5-2 at the 5-minute mark of the third frame before Ellingson capped off the scoring with her first collegiate goal at 18:00.

Concordia outshot St. Benedict  35-31 in the game and was led by Davis' five shots. Canton had four shots in the game and five different players added three shots each.

Senior goalie Andrea Klug turned aside 29 of the 31 shots she faced to pick up her second win of the year.

The game featured 17 penalties with eight in the first period alone. Concordia went 2-for-5 on the power play while CSB was 1-for-9.

TIMBUK 3: Concordia had six different newcomers tally at least one point in the game. Of those six first-year players on the team, five tallied their first point in maroon and gold. (Give yourself a pat on the back if you figured out the band reference to the song "The Future's So Bright".)

HIGH OCTANE: Concordia has now scored at least three goals in each of its first three games of the year. CC only had one three-game stretch with at least three goals in each game last year. The Cobbers are second in the MIAC in goals per game this season.  

NELSON THE NETTER: Senior Jess Nelson was named the MIAC Player of the Week on Monday and lived up to the billing by scoring her third goal in as many games this year. She and teammate Tori Davis are tied for second in the MIAC in goals scored. Nelson had five goals in all of last season.

WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will finish off the two-game series with St. Benedict on Saturday at 5 p.m. The game will be played at the Runestone Community Center in Alexandria due to a scheduling conflict with the Blazers' regular home arena.