(Canton, MI) - The Concordia Men's Hockey team was back at home Saturday evening for a late night rematch with the #12 Lawrence Tech Blue Devils. The Cardinals took leads in both the 1st and 3rd periods, but the Blue Devils tied the matchup both times, and were able to secure the extra point with a win in the 5th round of the shootout.
Anthony Seykora started in between the pipes for Concordia, recording 28 saves on 29 shots in just under 43 minutes of play before he was relieved by Zachary Janis, who made 12 saves on 13 shots in 22:06 of ice time.
Lawrence Tech opened the first period with the bulk of momentum and opportunities for the opening 10 minutes of play, but Seykora made a flurry of saves early in the contest to keep the contest scoreless for a majority of the opening frame. That would be until the 6:07 mark, when Carson Ediger would take a feed in front from Kyle Hebner, make a quick move in front, and beat the Blue Devil goalie for the first goal of the contest. Bobby Lindsay also picked up an assist on the score, and CUAA would go on to hold that lead as the teams headed into the first intermission.
The Cardinals would control more of the play in the second period, outshooting LTU 12-9 in the frame, but the Blue Devil goaltender would stand firm, denying any goals for Concordia in the middle frame. Lawrence Tech would pick up their first score of the contest just under halfway through the middle period on the powerplay, and that score would hold firm heading into the final break of the game, with the teams locked at a 1-1 draw.
The third period contained a more wide open game, with the Cardinals getting the lead back at the 13:01 mark when Seth Francois fed Tyler Groth at the point, who fired a shot through a cluster of bodies in front of the net that hit Brandon Troyer and ended up in the back of the Blue Devil goal. Both teams would continue to fight for chances in a period that had 5 total powerplays between the sides, but it would be LTU who would convert with just 1:01 remaining in regulation on the man advantage with their goaltender pulled, knotting the contest at 2 and sending it to overtime.
In the extra period, neither side produced a large amount of shots, and the Cardinals were unable to convert on a penalty shot early in the sudden death frame. The OT clock would expire with both teams still tied at 2, sending the game to a shootout. After both sides were denied in the first 4 rounds of shooters, LTU would convert on their 5th shot of the shootout, and CUAA would be stopped, securing the extra point and the victory for Lawrence Tech.
Next up for the Cardinals, they'll hit the road for another WHAC series opener, this time taking on the Cleary Cougars. Puck drop is set for 8:00pm at the 140 Ice Den in Howell, MI.
