Cobbers Split Opening Weekend
WAVERLY, IOWA (9/04/11)—Concordia finished their weekend trip to Iowa with a win and a loss as the Cobbers beat Coe 1-0 and dropped a 2-0 decision at Wartburg in the opening games of the 2011 season.
Concordia's defense and solid midfield play were the stars of the season-opening win against Coe on Saturday. The Cobbers limited the Kohawk offense to just three shots on goal for the entire 90 minutes. On the other end of the field, the CC attacking players were able to get several chances on goal but came away with just the one finish.
With the game still deadlocked at 0-0 and the Concordia offense showing signs of frustration, senior All-Region forward Riley McGlynn settled a throw-in deep in the Coe defensive end. McGlynn then laid the ball off to midfielder Bobby Spoja on the right side of the penalty area. Spoja then hammered a low shot into the far corner of the net that got by the Kohawk keepr before he had a chance to dive to the ground. For sophomore Spoja it was his first collegiate goal.
For the game CC outshot Coe 23-13 in total shots and held an 11-5 advantage in corner kicks. Cobber keeper Peter Runquist made three stops to earn his first win, and shutout, of the season.
It was a different story on Sunday as the wear and tear of two days of travel and playing two games in a span of 24 hours took its toll on a thin Concordia squad. The Cobbers created quality chances against Wartburg but the ending finish never materialized and CC walked away with a 2-0 loss. The Knights scored in the 29th minute and then sealed the game with a second strike in the 75th minute.
Concordia was outshot 24-14 in total shots for the game. Of those 14 shots, five came off the foot of McGlynn who was the major focus for the Wartburg defense. Both teams finished with two corner kicks.
Runquist made 12 saves for Concordia while Knight goalie Cade Shatzer stopped six shots.
The Cobbers stay on the road and play at UM-Morris on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 5 p.m. They will then have their home opener next weekend when they host the annual Cobber Invite. CC will play St. Scholastica on Friday, Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. and then Augustana (Ill.) on Sunday, Sept. 11 at noon.
