Quality Chances Are So Close in 2-1 Loss To St. Scholastica

MOORHEAD, Minn. (9/18/21)---The turning point of the Cobbers' game with St. Scholastica on Saturday may have come on the coin flip. The Saints won the toss and chose to go with the wind to start the game. The decision provided two goals in the first 16 minutes and allowed Scholastica to hold on for a 2-1 win.

Concordia dominated the second half in possession time as they were aided by the 20mph wind but could only come up with a single goal and lost for the second straight game to start the MIAC season.

The only non-corner kick goal of the game came in the seventh minute of play. Concordia opened the game with a pair of corners in the first 2:05 of play and held the play in the Saints' end for the first six minutes of play.

Scholastica would score on their first foray into the Cobber defensive third of the field. CSS was able to get the ball on the right wing and had an attacker cross the ball into the goal area. A Cobber defender headed the serve straight up and the ball came down and found the back of one of the Saint's attackers head who jumped up and headed the ball. The header was tucked inside the right post and gave Scholastica a 1-0 lead at 6:39.

They would double the lead at 15:31 on their only corner of the first half. CSS had an attacker break to the front post and beat the Cobber defense to the ball for the tap-in goal.

Concordia best chances of the first 45 minutes came from senior Samantha Dalsin in the final 15 minutes of the period. Dalsin had a shot from outside the area go over the top of the goalie and hang up in the wind. The ball dropped out of the sky and hit the crossbar and rolled down the left post. The second chance came on a header from 10-yards out. Her shot went over the CSS goalie, but she was able to back pedal and swat the ball out f the goal just before it crossed the line. The rebound went straight Cobber left wing Grace Mork who fired a 1-time shot that went low and ricocheted of the keepers' foot.

The Cobbers cut the lead in half just after the break. CC was able to counter the Saints' goal off of a corner kick with one of their own. Junior Samantha Holmberg was able to score her third goal of the year directly from the kick. She fired a low, curling ball that went behind the defender guarding the front post and skipped past the goalie.

The strike at 48:00 was Holmberg's team-leading fourth of the year.

Concordia's top opportunities to tie the game came around the 15-minute mark of the half when they had a trio of shots just miss the target.

Concordia held a 12-9 advantage in total shots and a 6-2 edge in corners. The Saints had one more shot on goal (6-5) in the game.

Cobber keeper Bre Nelson made four saves in the game.   

UP NEXT: Concordia will have its first full week off for the year and return to action when they play at Carleton on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 3:30 p.m.