Oct. 23, 2012 - Haley Graner's (Waukesha, WI/Waukesha West) goal with 7:44 remaining gave Concordia a 1-0 victory over host Benedictine University under the lights in Lisle this evening.

The two rivals played on mostly even terms in the first half with the Cougars holding a slim 6-4 advantage in shots. Concordia's best chances came on shots by Alyssa Soulis (Grayslake, IL/Grayslake North) and Lilly Poor (Bloomington, IN/Bloomington North), both of them saved by Candace Rogers. On the other end of the field, Callie Hasselbring (Houston, TX/Cypress Ridge) saved both of the Eagles' shots on goal.

Benedictine took to the attack early in the second half, but Nikki Jhanji was denied on three chances. As the half went on, Concordia began to assert a little more control. Hillary Campbell (Dyer, IN/Lake Central) had a few opportunities miss high and then wide, and Poor saw a shot miss wide in the 76th minute.

Finally in the 83rd minute, Concordia broke through. Poor controlled the ball before dropping it off for Graner 25 yards from the goal. Graner let go a hard shot that beat Rogers to the upper part of the net. The goal was Graner's fourth of the year with Poor earning her sixth assist.

The Cougars' defense held firm over the final minutes, not allowing any serious scoring chances by the hosts. Hasselbring wrapped up her third solo shutout of the year, finishing with three saves. The Cougars ended the season not allowing a goal to their opponents over the final 258 minutes.

Concordia finished 10-7-1 overall, equaling the number of wins set in 2003, 2005 and 2011; the team also marked consecutive double-digit win seasons for the first time. The 6-6 record in Northern Athletics Conference play sets a new team record for conference wins in a season. The Cougars ended the season with a seven-game unbeaten streak (6-0-1), and its current four-game win streak ties a record set in 2011.