Box Score

BLAINE, Minn. - Bethel showed that it has more than just a pulse in the MIAC as the Royals defended their home ice against the first place team in the conference tonight. Sarah Kartak (Fr., Lakeville, Minn.) scored eight minutes into the game against the St. Thomas Tommies and goalie Jess Newstrom (Fr., Cambridge, Minn.) did the rest as the Royals won 1-0.

Kartak scored by way of a power play, assisted by Biz Huss (Fr., Beaver Bay, Minn.) and Anna Carlson (So., Roseville, Minn.), and the Royals played lights-out defense after that. The Bethel defense effectively held its ground on seven power plays, while Newstrom faced a barrage of shots throughout the game.

The win ends a four-game skid for the Royals, and is not the first time that they have proved to be a thorn in the side of the Tommies. Early in the 2007 season, Bethel defeated St. Thomas for the first time in team history 2-0 at home, and the Royals both won and tied the Tommies in the regular season last year before bowing out to them in the playoffs.

Bethel keeps its playoff aspirations alive with the win, bringing them to 6-7 in conference play and 6-13 overall. St. Thomas falls into a three-way tie for first place with Gustavus and St. Catherine with the loss and stands at 9-3-1 (11-7-2) in the MIAC. The two teams will face off against each other again on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Mendota Heights, Minn., at the St. Thomas Academy arena.