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MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/20/10)-- Concordia delivered exactly what the doctor ordered on the weekend as they swept Hamline and earned four crucial MIAC league points and stayed in the hunt for a conference playoff spot. The Cobbers achieved all this by blasting the Pipers 8-0 on Saturday in Moorhead. The eight goals ties a season high for CC. It is also the first shutout of the season and first since Jan. 31 of last year.

Concordia is now 12-9-2 overall on the year and 7-7-2 in the league. The Cobbers are currently tied for sixth place in the conference standings.

On Saturday the game hung in the balance until the Cobbers exploded for five goals in the third period. CC scored twice in the first and once in the second to take a 3-0 lead into the final 20 minutes of play. During that time Concordia held a 25-18 edge in shots on goal. The game was going to come down to whoever scored the next goal of the game. If the Cobbers were able to score it, they would be able to coast home with the series sweep. If Hamline were able to come up with the fourth goal, they could apply the pressure and try to come up with the rally. Not only did CC score the next goal, they scored the next five goals and put the game well out of reach.

Ali Nelson and Kayla Thorson each scored twice for Concordia. Nelson had the only power play goal of the game and scored her fourth and fifth goals of the year. Thorson scored in the second and third frames and brought her season total to nine.

Amanda Livers, Kerry Blomberg, Emily Sell and Katelyn Dold all added single goals for Concordia. Livers score the first goal of the game which would prove to be the eventual game-winning goal. For Livers it was her first collegiate tally. Dold was held scoreless for the first two periods and then erupted for three points in the final 20 minutes. She had two assists and a goal and now has an MIAC-leading 36 points on the season. She is still fifth in the nation in points per game (1.57) and is now sixth in assists per game (0.91).

Freshman goalie Tracy Skluzacek completed the weekend sweep by stopping all 22 shots she faced and recorded her first collegiate shutout. Hamline split the goaltending duties between Amanda Plum and Tanya Sletten. Plum started the game and made 23 saves in 41:46 of play. Sletten entered in the third period and stopped 16 shots.

Concordia will finish off the regular season when they play at third-place St. Thomas next weekend in a two-game series. The Cobbers will need at least two points to get into playoff position.