Courtesy of GoCobbers.com, Release: February 19, 2010

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	Final
	0	1	1	0	2
	0	2	0	0	2

Box Score

Gameday Menu:

Opponent's Website: Hamline Men's Hockey

MIAC Website: MIAC Men's Hockey

ST. PAUL, Minn. (2/19/10)-- Concordia kept their playoff hopes alive by skating to a historic 2-2 overtime tie at No.8-ranked Hamline on Friday. The Cobbers are now 4-6-5 in the MIAC and two points behind Augsburg for the fifth, and final, playoff spot.

The five ties in conference play sets a new MIAC record for ties in a single season in league games. The old mark of four was set on six different occasions and most recently in  2006-07 by the Auggies.

The game was a fitting battle between two of the top young teams in the conference. Neither team was able to grab the momentum in a game that went back and forth and was never more than one-goal in favor of either team.

The teams opened the game by skating to through a scoreless first period and posting an identical 11 shots on goal. Hamline would have a little better of the play in the second period as they scored two of the three goals in the frame and outshot the Cobbers 14-7. The Pipers smashed the scoreless tie in the fifth minute of the second period when Taylor Vichorek scored his sixth goal of the year at 4:13. The lead would last over 12 minutes as Hamline used the goal to put Concordia on their heels.

The Cobbers eventually tied the game at 16:40 when Michael Weiss notched only his second goal of the year on assists from Bronson Shepherd and Erick Galt. Hamline responed by grabbing a 2-1 lead just before the second intermission. Kelly Plude connected on the go-ahead goal at 18:53 and it appeared that Hamline might use that momentum to skate away in the final period.

Concordia responded with one of their best periods of play of the season as they took the nationally-ranked Pipers all the way to the wire. The Cobber penalty kill once again stole the show for the specialty teams on the night. CC held scoreless in five power play attempts on the night but more importantly scored a shorthanded goal to tie the game at 11:07. Marc Harrie's seventh goal of the season was the team's MIAC-leading fifth shorthanded goal of the year.

The goal tied the game at 2-2 and set the stage for a frenzied final eight minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime. Both teams had chances to score and both goalies came up big to keep the score deadlocked.

In the end the teams both picked up a point for the tie.

Hamline (15-5-4/10-3-2 MIAC) outshot Concordia 36-30 for the night. Cobber goalie Jacob Vatnsdal stopped 34 shots while Piper netminder Beau Christian made 28 saves.

With their five successful penalty kills Concordia moved their season penalty kill percentage to 89.7% which is the second best in NCAA Division III. The Cobbers have not allowed a power play goal in the last six games and have held opponents scoreless in their last 28 power play attempts.

Concordia will go for a potential playoff-clinching win on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Drake Arena. The Cobbers need to beat Hamline and hope for losses by Augsburg and St. Olaf.