BLAINE, Minn. – Coming into tonight's game against Augsburg College the Royals had ridden a fast-paced teeter-totter that saw BU win and lose back-and-forth five times before winning twice and losing twice. Bethel was ready to ride the mechanical playground equipment back up tonight with a 2-1 victory over the Auggies, as fans in attendance witnessed a 55-shot effort from the Royals opposed to Augsburg's 27.
What appeared to be a competition solely in favor of BU the entire game, switched when Augsburg tallied the first goal of the contest two minutes into the second period. The Royals had outshot the Auggies 16-6 in the first frame and were on its way to a 13-10 advantage in the second, yet Augsburg worried not about the shot count but putting the puck in the net. Sara Rajewsky sent the puck just above goalie
Jess Newstrom's (Jr., Cambridge, Minn.) glove without an assist, putting Bethel behind.
BU continued to fire shots throughout the matchup, of which many attempts welcomed a number of groans, as the puck glazed just in front of the net. Auggie goalkeeper Brianna Schulz, coming into tonight's battle with a .926 save percentage, found a way to avoid a BU goal. Senior
Anna Carlson (Sr., Roseville, Minn.) found the five-whole 1:43 into the third period that proved to be the equalizer on a
Sarah Kartak (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) assist.
Cristina Masten (So., Fergus Falls, Minn.) followed suit less than four minutes later on an even-strength goal that put the Royals ahead to stay 2-1. Carlson's and Masten's goal seemed to be a sign of open waters the rest of the period, however, Schulz continued to keep the door closed the remainder of the game, keeping the Auggies within striking distance.
At the end of the 60-minutes of regulation Bethel tallied 55 shots, including 26 alone in the third period. Several of those shots came inches from splitting the defense and entering the back of the netting. Nonetheless, BU grabbed the home victory and improves to 7-6-0 within conference play. The Royals hope to ride the teeter-totter momentum higher tomorrow as they take on Augsburg again on the road. Currently in fifth place in MIAC standings, Bethel will look to get a few more wins and have the opportunity to host a playoff game.
