Cougars Drop Makeup Game to Concordia in High Scoring Affair

(Canton, MI)--  The Cleary Cougar hockey team had a lead, but were unable to hold on, as they dropped a WHAC matchup to the Concordia Cardinals in a makeup game originally scheduled for January 12. 

Concordia got things going just four minutes into the opening period, as they were able to beat goalie Tyler Krasofsky to take an early 1-0 lead.  The Cougars would answer two minutes later, when Cam Thomas scored his fourth goal over the past two games, with assists from Devon Campbell and Levi Herauf, to tie the game.  Erik Wafer would give the Cougars the lead when he put in a rebounded shot, with assists from Jonny Gardiner and Bennett Sheppard, to give Cleary the lead.  After a pair of Cougar penalties, Concordia would tie the game again just before the 5-on-3 penalty expired, but the Cougars were able to avoid further damage for the rest of the penalty kill, and the score would be 2-2 through twenty minutes.  

Cleary would regain the lead in the second period, when Billy Simms scored, with assists from Wes Smith and Garrett Alton, to make the score 3-2.  The Cardinals would tie the game for the third time later in the period, but Levi Herauf gave the Cougars the lead just before the end of the period, with an assist from Wes Smith and Garrett Alton, and Cleary would hold a 4-3 lead through forty minutes.

The third period started exactly how Cleary wanted, with a Bennett Sheppard goal just 30 seconds into the action, with an assist from Devon Campbell, and the Cougars would hold a 5-3 advantage early in the final period.  The Cardinals would respond, as they scored four unanswered goals in seven minutes to take a 7-5 lead.  Cleary would go on a power play with just over two minutes to play, and Cleary would pull Tyler Krasofsky to try to take advantage of the 6-on-4 opportunity, but the Cardinals defense stood tall, and Cleary was unable to cut into the Cardinal lead.

Tyler Krasofsky would suffer the loss in goal, making 26 saves on 33 shots faced.  Cleary scored five goals from five different players.

The loss drops Cleary to 13-19, 7-13 in the WHAC.  Cleary will be back on the road on Friday when they travel to Fraser to take on the Rochester Warriors in a WHAC matchup.  The game is set to begin at 9:45 PM.