Box Score

STEVENS POINT, Wis. - Bethel's men's hockey team entered Saturday night's game against UW-Stevens Point still in pursuit of their first win of the season. Despite tying the game in the second period, the Pointers got a pair of goals in the third period, and the Royals could only answer with one in return, thus falling 5-4 on the road.

The Royals fell behind early as UW-Stevens point got on the scoreboard less than three minutes into the game. The Pointers tacked on another goal near the 10-minute mark of the first period making the score 2-0. Jake Calleja (Fr., New Richmond, Wis.) cut Bethel's deficit in half by capitalizing on a power play opportunity with 1:32 remaining in the period, scoring his first collegiate goa with the help of Jack Paul (Fr., Minnetonka, Minn.) and Chris Fiala (So., Vadnais Heights, Minn.).

In the second period, Bethel needed barely a minute to tie the game as Christian Ostigaard (Sr., Byers, Colo.) scored a shorthanded goal with the help of newcomer Corey Grandner (Fr., Champlin, Minn.). Then, at the 14:13 mark of the period, Tom Menozzi (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) gave the Royals their first and only lead of the night with his first goal of the season, assisted by Christian Fogerty (Jr., Forest Lake, Minn.) and Jake Kogler (So., Forest Lake, Minn.). However, the lead was short-lived. With less than 20 seconds remaining in the period, and with a two-man advantage, UW-Stevens Point struck back to tie the game at 3-3.

Just over three minutes into the final period, the Pointers netted their fourth goal of the night to take the lead, and eight minutes later, they added an insurance goal to make the score 5-3 in their favor.

But Bethel would not go quietly. With four and a half minutes remaining, Fiala scored his team-leading third goal of the season with the help of Paul, pulling the Royals back within one point of tying. Unfortunately, goalie Aaron Damjanovich (Sr., Remer, Minn.) could only be pulled out of the net for 23 seconds in an effort to give Bethel a man advantage in the final minute of the game.

The Royals spent far less time in the penalty box than the Pointers, though they were only one-for-six on power play attempts, compared to one-for-four on the other side of the ice.

Bethel is now 0-4 to start their season, while UW-Stevens Point improves to 2-3. The Royals finally return to the friendly confines of Bethel University Arena on Friday, Nov. 13, to take on Saint John's beginning at 8 p.m.