What A Difference A Week Makes

MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/12/22)---What a difference a week makes. Last Wednesday, the Cobbers were on the wrong end of soccer luck, conceded a deflected goal in the final seconds against regionally-ranked St. Benedict and lost 1-0. On Wednesday, Concordia had the crossbar stop a penalty kick, had a last-second game-tying goal waved off and beat regionally-ranked St. Catherine 1-0.

The hard-fought win ends the Cobbers' 6-game losing streak and gives them their first conference win of the year. CC is now 4-8-1 overall and 1-5-1 in the MIAC. The Wildcats have their 3-game win streak stopped, and are now 7-4-2 in all games and 4-2-1 in league play.

The game, which was played on a blustery day with the winds swelling to 25mph, was deadlocked at 0-0 through the first 45 minutes of play. Concordia went with the wind in the first half, and neither team was able to create a quality chance on goal. The Cobbers' best effort came from a 40-yard free kick off the foot of Sophia Robinson, who had her shot stopped by the SCU goalie.

The game started to open up at the start of the second half as St. Catherine pushed players forward to take advantage of the wind. They had a breakaway shot smack the crossbar, and another chance from in close slide just wide of the left post.

The game was tied at 0-0 until the 65th minute of play when a Cobber attacker drew a foul just inside the CC offensive half of the field. Robinson played the free kick inside the penalty area where the ball bounced, and freshman Kylee James was able to touch it into the net from 6-yards out.

The goal at 64:46 was James' second of the season. For Robinson, it was her team-leading third assist and gave her 11 total points for the year which is also tops for CC.

The two soccer luck goal dodges came in the final 15 minutes of play. The first escape came when a Cobber player ran over a Wildcat attacker in the penalty area which gave SCU a penalty kick. The spot kick was hammered off the underside of the crossbar, and instead of dropping down behind the goal line, it ricocheted in front of the goal. The rebound bounced to the top of the 6-yard box where a Wildcat player ran on to the ball and knocked the open header just wide of the goal.

The final escape came in the very last seconds of the game. St. Catherine earned a corner kick on the right wing and hurried to take the kick in the last 15-second of play. The cross bounced just outside the 6-yard box and was then tapped into the goal by an SCU player. The goal was disallowed after it was deemed that the player who scored the goal was in an offside position when the ball was deflected by a Wildcat player and she came back onside to score the goal.

The shot total was 5-4 in favor of the Wildcats at the break, but then SCU outshot CC 10-1 in the second half to post a 15-5 advantage for the game. SCU held a 7-5 edge in shots on goal.

Robinson led CC with two shots, both of which were on net.

Junior goalie Bre Nelson made five saves to record her team-leading third shutout of the year. She is now 3-2-1 in her six game appearances.