ST. PAUL, Minn. - Concordia-St. Paul (0-1) opened the 2018 season with a significant challenge, hosting #3 Lindenwood (3-0) on Friday night at the Concordia Dome at Sea Foam Stadium. Although CSP was defeated 19-7 by the Lions, the Golden Bears showed significant progress in year two of the program.

Just a year ago, a 2-0 Golden Bear squad who defeated a Division III and an NAIA opponent on inaugural weekend faced a pair of steady but not spectacular Division II opponents and fell by 21-14 and 15-6 margins.

This year, the Golden Bears opened the season with the third-ranked team in the country (as high as #2 in a different poll), a defending national semifinal competitor and a number one seed in the 2017 NCAA Division II Tournament. Lindenwood, a Division II program since 2012, came into tonight's game with at least 15 wins and no more than four losses in a season. They came in with a 2-0 record in 2018, with both wins over top-25 opponents, allowing just four and seven goals in the process.

The Golden Bears were able to match the seven goals that #24 Indianapolis scored on the Lions in LWU's season opener, and put in three more than #7 Queens a week ago in the Lions' home opener.
 
Concordia entered the game with three victories over Division II opposition in program history, and carries a young roster of seven freshmen, a redshirt freshman and 11 sophomores with just two upperclassmen (one junior & one senior). In two games against ranked opponents, CSP dropped 20-5 and 21-3 decisions at #12 Florida Tech and #15 Regis while McKendree would be ranked later in the year, but was unraked when it defeated CSP 19-2 earlier in the year.

Just like the developing storyline of CSP outpacing their performances from the inaugural season during the preseason, tonight would prove another step forward over a year ago, this time the measuring stick was nationally-ranked opponents and the Lions represented perhaps the top squad Concordia had faced in its young program to date.

But tonight it was Concordia who jumped on the scoreboard first as senior Kalle LaValle found the net on a feed from sophomore Alina Boyce just over a minute and a half into the game. It was freshman Raelyn Korinek who led CSP in scoring on the night with a hat trick in her debut while attempting a team-high six shots with five on goal.

The Lions flexed their muscles with a 6-0 run over a 10-minute stretch of play when sophomore Maddie Hentges scored and then assisted on a goal by Kailey Heinl to make it a 6-3 margin midway through the 17th minute.

Hentges had a three-point night to match Korinek, also adding a late assist on a Korinek goal while Heinl added a two goal performance for the Bears.

Prior to Hentges helping CSP to back-to-back goals and in the midst of Lindenwood's 6-0 run, the Bears had done enough to disrupt the Lions that they called timeout with a 4-1 lead just over eight minutes into the game. Later in the half, Lindenwood once again stopped the game, this time with a stick check to thwart any CSP momentum that was brewing.

After allowing CSP to trim the margin back to three, Lindenwood was able to push ahead for its second 6-0 run to mount a 12-3 lead, scoring the six consecutive goals in a span of just over minutes while keeping Concordia out of the net for nine and a half minutes.

From there, Lindenwood was able to keep the margin at least nine the rest of the way but Concordia kept them from blowing the game open as the lead stayed between nine and 13 in the second half. After a 13-4 score at the break on a 38-20 shot margin, CSP kept within three in the second half (6-3) and narrowed the shot disparity even further, to 11-10.

Concordia showed aggressiveness throughout, totaling two more ground balls (21) than the Lions (19) while keeping turnovers within a respectable margin (CSP 21, LWU 16) including even in the second half (8-8).

Lindenwood was led by a trio with seven points: Hannah Doughty (4g, 3a), Sophie Buelow (3g, 4a) and Allison Hurley (2g, 5a). Two others, Carly Fedorowsky and Sarah Cromer, record hat tricks with Cromer also chipping in an assist. Buelow also led Lindenwood with five ground balls and added three draw controls.

Sophomore goalie Katie Lottsfeldt made nine saves in the first half, although she'd be issued the loss in the contest. Freshman Claire Hagen made her debut in the cage, playing the final 17:30 with three saves and two goals allowed. The two goalies combined for nine ground balls led by Lottsfeldt's game-high six.

Rachel Ortell picked up the win in net for Lindenwood despite saving just three of the eight shots on goal against her.

Although Concordia was topped 22-6 on the draw, freshman Margot Coomes was a bright spot in securing a team-high three. In the midfield, the teams played to a similar rate on clear attempts with Lindenwood converting 15-16 to Concordia's 14-17.

Concordia will play four games on its spring trip, heading to Tusculum (Tenn.), Mars Hill (N.C.), Southern Wesleyan (S.C.) and Wingate (N.C.) next week. The four game spring trip will mark the end of non-conference competition this season, as CSP returns home when GLIAC play opens on Saturday, March 17 against Northern Michigan at noon at the Concordia Dome.