Cobbers Skate To Overtime Tie In Series OPener

MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/10/23)---Concordia skated to a 4-4 overtime tie in its series opener with Gustavus. The Gusties grabbed the extra point in the MIAC standings with 1-0 win in the shootout.

The tie gives Concordia a single point in the standings. CC drops out of the Top 5 for the playoffs, and is now tied for sixth place with 18 points. The Cobbers are 9-11-2 overall and 6-6-1 in league play.
   
The game features consecutive goal streaks by each team. After the Cobbers scored the opener, Gustavus responded with two straight goals. Concordia then countered with three straight strikes before the Gustavus got to within one with 1:38 left in the second, and tied the game at the 4:45 mark of the third period.

Freshman Caden Triggs opened the scoring when he knocked home a deflected shot from Jacen Bracko at 5:51 on the first period. The goals was Triggs' sixth of the year with Bracko and Hunter Olson getting assists on the play.

Gustavus (3-16-3, 1-10-2 MIAC) tied the game midway through the first period, and then took the 2-1 lead in the opening minute of the middle period.

The lead would be short-lived as Hanson O'Leary grabbed the puck in the right faceoff circle, and turned and fired a shot on the ice that beat the Gustie goalie under his pads. The goal at 1:47 of the period was O'Leary's seventh of the year. Joe Harguindeguy and Mason Plante had the assists on the game-tying tally.

Junior Garrett Sandberg would give CC a 3-2 lead when he scored his first career goal at the 10:19 mark. His shot from the point eluded the pile of players in front of the net and found the back of the goal. Kevin Ness got the assist after he won the draw from the left faceoff circle.

Mason Plante would push the lead to 4-2 when he scored on the power play at 11:37 of the second stanza. Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe took a shot from the left sideboards that was stopped The rebound dropped down just outside the crease, and Plante pounced on the puck and buried his fourth goal of the year. Cole O'Connell was awarded the second assist on the play.

Neither team scored in the final 15-minutes of the third period or the 5-minute overtime frame which forced the extra-point to be decided in the shootout.

Harguindeguy went first and was stopped by the Gustie goalie. Bracko took the second shootout attempt for CC and hit the post, before Triggs missed the third try. Cobber goalie Matt Fitzgerald was helped out by the post on the first Gustavus attempt, made a glove-hand stop on the second and then the third GAC shooter found the net on a backhand move.

Concordia outshot the Gusties 32-28 in the game. Fitzgerald turned aside 24 shots. Triggs led the Cobbers with four shots on goal.

CC was 1-for-4 on the power play, while Gustavus scored once in their three PP chances.

UP NEXT: Concordia will look to take 4 of 6 points in the series when they host Gustavus on Saurday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. at the Cullen Hockey Center.   

CONCORDIA vs. GUSTAVUS HIGHLIGHTS