Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Bethel University men's hockey team fell for the seventh time in their last eight MIAC games in a 4-1 loss at Augsburg College and effectively saw their playoff hopes end. After starting the season 5-1 and tied for first place the Royals have gone just 1-7 in MIAC games and would need to sweep Saint John's next weekend and have approximately eight other games to go in their favor in order to find themselves in a three way tie for the fifth spot, which would likely go in the Royals favor in that scenario.
 
The Royals got on the board first when the top scoring tandem in the MIAC, freshman Mitch Hughes and senior Jack Paul, teamed up to put the Royals up 1-0. For Hughes it was his 13th goal and for Paul it was his league leading 15th assist. Hughes is tied for the league scoring title lead with 24 points while Paul is just one point behind with 23. The 1-0 lead would hold up until 13 minutes into the second period the Auggies scored to tie the game, then took the lead for good four minutes later. Augsburg would add to the lead six minutes into the third period and then added an empty net goal at the end for the 4-1 final.
 
The Auggies, who have now won five of their last six games, outshot the Royals 34-18 and converted on their lone power play of the game. Bethel was 0-2 on power play opportunities in a game that saw just five penalties called, three on Augsburg and two on Bethel. Steven Bolton made 30 saves on the night for Bethel.
 
The Royals will return home next Friday night for their final home game of the 2012-13 season as they host Saint John's University. The Johnnies are coming off a sweep of league leader St. Olaf and find themselves tied with St. Thomas for second place and just one point behind St. Olaf as they chase a league title. The puck will drop at 7 p.m. Friday with the teams playing in St. Cloud, Minn., Saturday at 7 p.m.