Box Score
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - On a cold, damp, and dark afternoon at the Ona Orth Athletic Complex, the Royals offense found bright spots, pouring in three goals, but their effort in a see-saw battle would be overshadowed as they fell to Gustavus Adolphus College, 4-3.
The Royals fell behind early, allowing the Gusties' Mark Adams to notch the first goal, from 10 yards out, 7:23 into the first half, with the assist going to Max Malmquist. Bethel responded in the 34th minute when
Brandon Peplinski (Jr., Maple Grove, Minn.) took a hard shot from six yards away, tying the game at 1-1. Assisting on the play were
Andreas Scott (Jr., Cedar, Minn.) and
Gregory LeVere (Jr., Fort Worth, Texas). The Royals struck again quickly, four minutes later, as Scott got the goal this time, again from six yards away. The goal was scored at 38:02 and the assists went to Peplinski and
Michael Voigtlander (Jr., Vadnais Heights, Minn.). However, Gustavus countered back with a goal of their own in the 42nd minute, scored by Skylar Schulz and sent the game into halftime tied, 2-2.
The second half would start the same way as the first, with the Gusties' Adams scoring first at 57:34, assisted by Bret Vander Streek. The Royals would claw back two minutes later, the goal going to Scott again in the 59th minute, with assists going to
Zach Hurd (Jr., Portage, Mich.) and
Eric Johnson (Sr., Bloomington, Minn.). The game remained 3-3 for the majority of the second half until a ricochet shot off the goalpost put Gustavus up for good at 83:19. Adams was given the goal unassisted.
Bethel was out shot 17 to 13 and 10 to six in shots on goal. Scott managed five shots, three of them on goal, along with the two goals and one assist. He now has 23 points on seven goals and nine assists. Adams led Gustavus with five total shots, three of them on the goalie and all three finding the back of the net.
After the game, the Royals drop to 9-5-2 (4-3-2) and Gustavus improves to 7-6-3 (4-3-1). Bethel plays again on Monday, at home versus North Central University. The game will begin at 3:30 p.m. at the Ona Orth Complex.
