A Tough Day At The Office

MOORHEAD, Minn. (1/21/17)--- The battle of the Top 2 teams came down to special teams and goal in the first 15 seconds of the third period.

Concordia surrendered a pair of power play goals, allowed four consecutive goals in the second and third periods and lost 5-3 to Augsburg.

The two-goal loss by the Cobbers splits the series and keeps Concordia and the Auggies tied atop the MIAC standings. CC is now 11-5-0 in all games and 8-2-0 in league play. Augsburg has a 12-5-1 overall mark and an identical 8-2-0 record in the MIAC. The teams both have 16 conference points which is two points in front of the third-place team.

The two turning points in the series finale came in the second period when Augsburg was staked to a 5-on-3 power play and then at the very start of the third period. The Cobbers were whistled for a pair of roughing penalties midway through the middle frame and the Auggies were able to convert on the subsequent PP opportunity.

The Auggies used the momentum gained with the goal that put them in front 2-1 and added another goal in the second period and two more in the first nine minutes of the third.

The game went back to being an up-and-down affair at the end of the second period and Concordia was looking forward to coming out strong in the third. Augsburg stopped any comeback notions with a goal at the 14-second mark. An even-strength goal at 8:17 gave the Auggies a 5-1 lead.

Concordia would try to get back in the game when freshman Amanda Flemming scored the second of her two goals in the game just 13-seconds later.

Fleming picked up a loose puck at the top of the crease and flicked a shot into the top right corner of the net. The goal at 8:30 was assisted by Jessica Kongelf and Tori Davis. Both players had two assists in the game.

Davis and Ellen Rethwisch set up Flemming's first goal at 16:30 of the first period which tied the game at 1-1. Flemming was in the right spot at the right time as she one-timed a rebound into the top part of the net after the opening shot from Rethwisch was kicked right onto her stick from the Auggie goalie.

Concordia would get to within 5-3 at 18:42 when Nelson netted her team-leading 13th goal of the year. Nelson fired a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle that went through two Augsburg defenders and teammate Maddie Ellingson who was standing at the top of the crease.

The Cobbers outshot Augsburg 29-28 for the game which included an 11-8 margin in the third period. Nelson and Davis had a team-high four shots on goal.

Cobber senior goalie Andrea Klug made 23 saves in the game.
Augsburg went 2-for-2 on the power play and the Cobbers were 2-for-5.

SPECIAL TEAMS STUFF: Concordia scored two goals on the power play which marks the fourth straight game they have notched a power play goal. It is also the fifth time this year they have recorded at least two power play goals in a game. CC continues to lead the MIAC in power play goals. They now have 20 on the year which is also seventh most in Division III. The two goals allowed on the power play were as many as CC had allowed in the previous four games combined. The Cobbers are now fifth in the league in penalty kill success rate (81.2%).   

OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE ASSIST SPECTRUM: Tori Davis and Jessica Kongelf each had two assists in the game but the two players have almost mirror-image stat lines. Davis now has nine goals and three assists for 13 points this year while Knogelf has two goals and nine assists for 11 points. Davis' two helpers were one more than she had in the first 16 games of the year combined.

4 FOR 60: Nelson's goal in the third period ties her for the goal scoring lead in the MIAC with 13. The goal also gives her 60 points for her career. She now has 22 goals and 38 assists in her three-plus years in maroon and gold.
 
WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will continue with their three-series stretch against teams in the Top 3 of the conference. The Cobbers started with Hamline (tied for third) last weekend, kept it going with Augsburg and will finish it off at third-place Gustavus next weekend. The Gusties are 6-2-2 in the MIAC, 10-5-2 overall and are unbeaten in their last five games. GAC is coming off a sweep over St. Olaf.  

CONCORDIA vs. AUGSBURG HIGHLIGHTS