COLLEGE PLUS: Hockey success follows Aberdeen Central grad

An Aberdeen Central graduate has been a part of a record-setting 2011.

Abby Taffe has helped the Concordia College women's hockey team cap off the best pre-Christmas start in program history. The Cobbers' record has reached 7-1-1 as they head into the New Year.

“We have been actually playing really well this year,” Taffe said. “The team has really came together and it has been clicking really well. Things seem to becoming together a lot easier than last year at this time.”

The Cobbers also wrapped up the best calendar year in program history. Concordia posted an 18-3-4 mark in games played in 2011, which takes into account the last half of the 2010-11 season and the first part of the 2011-12 campaign.

“We finished well last year,” Taffe said. “So we knew we could at least do that good, and with the new people coming in, we knew we were going to do very well this year and be very successful.”

Concordia is ranked No. 10 in the latest USCHO.com NCAA Division III poll. It is the first time in program history the Cobbers have earned a top-10 national ranking.

The sophomore has been a big part of the team's success the past two seasons. She is currently tied with Brookings graduate Breann Julius for the team lead in goals scored with seven. The duo is also tied for the seventh-most goals scored in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Taffe and Julius are tied for second on the team with 12 points.

“Taffe is a skilled player,” Concordia coach Brett Bruininks said, “whose work ethic and coach-ability are second to none. With those two assets, we anticipate even greater success for her at this level. Abby is a great example of a teammate - supportive, hard-working, a leader on and off the ice, and puts the team first.”

Last season, Taffe and the Cobbers finished with an overall record of 15-8-4, which set a program record for victories in a single season. The women's hockey program at Concordia began in 1998.

The Cobbers also picked up a win in the MIAC tournament, which was the first postseason victory for Concordia since the 2000-01 season.

“It was really exciting,” Taffe, 20, said. “It has been a long time since we have actually won a playoff game. So winning that first one was a big deal for us.”

She admits last season was nerve-racking at first, but she adjusted well to the college game. Taffe, who is a biology major, played in all 27 games as a freshman and registered 33 points to go along with 18 goals.

And as much as she excels on the ice, she does in the classroom as well.

“Hockey is a small part of the college experience,” Bruininks said. “Academics is the primary reason why the student-athletes are here. Abby puts the same effort and commitment into her studies, which undoubtedly serves as an especially good role model for her younger and even older teammates.”

Kusler almost ties sister's record

Alison Kusler almost tied a school record held by her older sister Megan.

Alison nailed her first five three-pointers in the Northern State women's basketball come-from-behind win over Augustana College 61-53 this past Saturday at Wachs Arena in Aberdeen.

Her older sister Megan holds the school record for the best three-point percentage in a game when she was a perfect 5-for-5 during the 2008-09 season.

“She just reminded me of that,” Alison said after the game. “She said I should have stopped shooting to get to her.”

However, Alison missed her next two three-point attempts. The Aberdeen Central graduate still finished with a career-high 21 points. She was 4-for-4 in the first half to help the Wolves erase an 18-1 deficit and trail 32-26 at halftime. She had 14 points at halftime.