Courtesy of GoCobbers.com, Release: January 8, 2010
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Video Highlights | Postgame Interviews
Gameday Menu:
Opponent's Website: St. Norbert Men's Hockey
MIAC Website: MIAC Men's Hockey
NCHA Website: NCHA Men's Hockey
MOORHEAD, Minn. (1/8/10)-- Concordia jumped right into the deep end of the pool after a month layoff for the Christmas holiday. The Cobbers returned to action in the 2010 calendar year by hosting No.4-ranked St. Norbert and fell 4-2 on Friday. The Green Knights scored three goals in the second period to take control of the game and post their 11th win of the season. Concordia is now 3-9-2 overall.
(with head coach Chris Howe and Jared Collen)
The Cobbers showed the effects of their long layoff as they struggled to find their offensive legs in the first period. St. Norbert held a 14-2 advantage in shots on goal in the opening period and scored the period's only goal. Noah Nemgar notched his first goal of the year to give the Green Knights the 1-0 lead at the 14:58 mark. Johan Ryd and Scott Pulak were credited with the assists on the play. For Pulak it would be the first of his two consecutive assists in the game.
St. Norbert (11-2-1) might have taken a bigger lead into the break but Cobber freshman goalie Jacob Vatnsdal was able to pick up where he left off in 2009 and held the Green Knights to only one goal on 14 shots in the opening 20 minutes of play.
The second period was the game breaker for Concordia. St. Norbert grabbed a 2-0 lead just 44 seconds into the frame when Cody Keefer netted his eighth goal of the season. The Cobbers were able to get to within one goal less than five minutes later when Jared Collen scored a power play goal at 5:20. Erick Galt was given the assist on Collen's fifth goal of the season.
The one-goal margin would be short-lived as Mike Bernardy would finish of the goal of the game less than two minutes after Collen's goal. Bernardy scored his third goal of the year as he finished off a nifty passing play from Shane Wheeler and Nick Tabisz.
The deciding moment of the game might have come in the 15th minute of play in the second period when Galt found himself all alone in front of the Green Knight goal and just the goalie to beat. Galt had jumped up on the play after the Cobbers drove the puck deep into the St. Norbert end on an odd-man rush. Galt called for the puck after it was driven below the red line and the subsequent pass freed Galt all alone in the slot. Unfortunately for CC, Galt's show whistled just wide of the upper right corner and the Green Knights were able to hold their two-goal advantage.
St. Norbert was able to gain the all-important three-goal advantage less than two minutes after Galt missed the target when Dylan Exton shelfed a puck just under the crossbar on a rebound after Vatnsdal had gone down to make the original save.
Nursing a 4-1 lead in the third period, the Green Knights were content to keep the Cobber attack on the outside of the ice and not give up any fast counterattacks. Concordia would finish off the scoring when Shawn Goos hammered home a rebound on the power play at the 19:04 mark.
Concordia outshot St. Norbert 15-9 in the final period but the Green Knights were able to come away with a 38-25 edge in shots on goal for the entire game.
Vatnsdal made 34 saves for CC marking the fifth time this year he has made at least 30 saves in a game. Green Knight goalie B.J. O'Brien turned aside 23 shots to pick up his 11th win of the season.
Concordia will finish off their non-conference schedule for the season when they host UW-Stevens Point on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 2 p.m. at the Moorhead Sports Center.
