Late Game Winner Propels Cobbers To MIAC Quarterfinals

MOORHEAD, Minn. (02/23/22)---It was a typical hockey playoff game between Concordia and St. Catherine – close, low-scoring and dominated by good goaltending.

The Cobbers scored the only goal of the game with 171-seconds left in regulation to post a 1-0 victory in the first round of the MIAC playoffs. Both teams had quality chances throughout the game but Concordia's goalie Kiana Flaig and Wildcats' netminder Elizabeth Kubicek made sure the game would stay close until the final horn sounded.

Concordia (10-13-1) had several chances from in close, and several offensive zone breakaways that were stopped before senior captain Jordie Egerdahl came up with the game winner at the 17:09 mark of the final period.

The win advances Concordia to the MIAC quarterfinals where they will face Gustavus in St. Peter on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m.

The victory is also the first playoff win for the Cobbers since 2016 and first-ever playoff shutout win in program history.

The first 20 minutes of the Cobbers' first playoff game since 2018 was an even battle. Both teams only had one quality chance – and the shot difference was only one.

The game changed in favor of Concordia in the second period. CC was able to put pressure on St. Kate's in the offensive zone as well as get odd-player rushes through the neutral zone. The Cobbers outshot the Wildcats 17-8 in the middle frame and 30-13 in the final 40 minutes of play.

Concordia's best chance in the second period came on a 2-on-1 rush when Brenna Mjoness fired a shot from the right faceoff circle that glanced off the glove of Kubicek, hit the inside of the right post and then slid across the goal mouth.

The Cobbers had another shot hit the crossbar in the third period before Egerdahl came through with the game winner.

Sophomore Jerica Friese broke the puck out of the CC defensive zone and made a pass to linemate Abbey Hardwick in the neutral zone. Hardwick carried the puck towards the left side of the ice and got around the defense at the bottom of the left faceoff circle. She cut hard to the net and her initial shot was stopped but the rebound bounced into the slot. Egerdahl was trailing the play and proceeded to 1-time a shot past Kubicek before she could recover.

The goal with 2:51 left in the third period was Egerdah's third of the season and second game-winning goal of the season.

Concordia finished the game by outshooting St. Kate's 37-21. Flaig wasn't called to make many point-blank stops, but when the Wildcat's did get a shot from in close, Flaig made sure that nothing got by.

Flaig's 21-save performance, in her first career playoff game, is her second shutout of the season and fourth career shutout.          

UP NEXT: Concordia will face No.1 seed Gustavus in the MIAC quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. in St. Peter.           

CONCORDIA vs. ST. CATHERINE HIGHLIGHTS