A Well Scripted Season-Opening Win

MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/27/17)---The start of 2017-18 season couldn't have been more perfect for the Cobbers as freshman Callie Fagerstrom scored on her very first collegiate shot, Amanda Flemming came up with her first collegiate hat trick and goalie Brittany Boss played a solid 60 minutes in her first game as the team's No.1 goalie.

The combination of goals and goaltending led to a dominant 5-2 win over Northland in the season opener for both teams.

Fagerstrom wasted little time in getting her college career off to an eye-opening start. She gathered the puck inside her own blue line, skated untouched to the top of the Northland face-off circles and fired a low shot that handcuffed the goalie and found the back of the net.

Fagerstrom's first goal on her first shot came at 2:07 of the first period and gave the Cobbers a 1-0 lead.

Abbie Canton and sophomore transfer Gracie Skoog collected their first assists of the year on the opening goal.

The Lumberjills would counter 38-seconds later on a rebound shot following a scrum around the Concordia goal.

Flemming then stepped into the spotlight to give Concordia a 3-1 lead at the break. She went top shelf on a breakaway at the 9:25 mark to secure her first goal of the year and then hammered a shot from the left face-off circle on the power play at 18:39 to give the Cobbers a two-goal advantage heading into the first intermission. Freshman Megan Mohr sophomore Josee Lundgren were credited with the assists on the play. For Mohr it was her first collegiate point.

Concordia had plenty of offensive zone time in the first 20 minutes of play as they put up 19 shots on goal.

The second period slowed down for the Cobber offense. The Lumberjills got to within one goal in the fourth minute of play. The game would stay at 3-2 until just past the midway point when junior Megan Dondelinger fired home a backhand from just below the right face-off circle. Her goal at 12:11 came after Mackinzy MacIver and Canton worked to keep the puck in the Northland zone. Both players were given assists on the play.

Flemming finished off the scoring in the third period when he once again went just under the crossbar to beat the goalie. Flemming skated the puck towards the net from the top of the left face-off circle and then snapped home a point-blank shot to complete her hat trick and give CC a 5-2 lead.

Boss was called on to make solid saves in the first period and then settled in to the game after the Lumberjills' second goal in the middle period. Her biggest save came on a breakaway during the third period with Concordia holding a 4-2 lead.

The Cobbers outshot Northland 50-18 for the game. Boss stopped 16 shots to earn her second collegiate victory.           

CAREER NIGHT: In addition to her three goals in the opener, Cobber sophomore Amanda Flemming put up a game-high 11 shots. That was seven fewer than the Northland team combined. Fleming never had more than one goal in a game during her freshman season in 2016-17 and her previous career-high shot total was seven which came against Marian on Nov. 27.

YOUNG GUNS: Concordia has a talented crew of newcomers and they wasted little time making their mark. The Cobbers had four newcomers record a point and 11 of the 50 shots were put up by new members of the team.

SHE LOVES NORTHLAND: Brittany Boss has two collegiate wins and both have come against Northland. She earned a 2-0 shutout last year when the Cobbers played in Ashland, Wis. just before the Christmas break.

NIFTY FIFTY: Concordia only reached the 50-shot plateau one time last year and that came in the fourth game of the season. The Cobbers 50 shots against Northland are the most in 22 games and the most since they put up 56 against St. Benedict on Nov. 12.  
  
WHAT'S NEXT: The Cobbers and Lumberjills will finish off their two-game series on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. at the Moorhead Sports Center.   

CONCORDIA vs. NORTHLAND HIGHLIGHTS: