Box Score

BLAINE, Minn. - After some hard-fought games on the road last weekend, the Bethel Royals Men's Hockey team defeated the Saint John's Johnnies Friday night 5-3 in their conference opener. The Royals tallied the first goal of the contest in the first period on a power-play goal from Chris Fiala (So., Vadnais Heights, Minn.). Bethel would end the first with a 1-0 lead going into the second.

Saint John's clawed back into the game with a goal midway through the second to knot the game up at 1-1. Bethel fired back with a goal of their own off the stick of Jake Calleja (Fr., New Richmond, Wis.) with assists from Kyle Dynan (Sr., Orono, Minn.) and Jack Paul (Fr., Minnetonka, Minn.). The scored remained until the final minutes of the second when Saint John's trickled in a goal passed Aaron Damjanovich (Sr., Remer, Minn.) to even the score at 2-2.

The third period was all Bethel as the Royals finished with a flourish. The Royals extended their lead early in the third when Kyle Dynan fired a blistering slapshot passed the Johnnies goaltender to find the back of the net. Jake Calleja would follow suit as he too would add another goal for the Royals a mere two minutes later. With a minute remaining in regulation, the Johnnies would pull their goalie in a last ditch effort to score. Jack Paul intercepted a Johnnie pass in the Royals zone and went the length of the ice for an empty net goal.

The victory was the first for the Royals thus far on the young season. Jake Calleja led the offensive attack for the Royals as he finished with two goals, with Austin Hatch (So., Cloquet, Minn.) also adding two assists. Bethel travels to Collegeville, Minnesota tomorrow to wrap up the series with Saint John's.