BLAINE, Minn. – The Bethel University men's hockey team skated to a 3-3 tie with Hamline Saturday night before scoring in the 3-on-3 overtime to earn the extra point in the MIAC standings.

Taking five out of six possible points in the weekend series, BU moves to 3-6-2 on the year and 2-2-2 in the MIAC with nine points. The Royals will take some time off from competition for the holiday break before returning to action on Saturday, Dec. 28 at the Superior Holiday Tournament where they open with Marian University.

It was an active first period where Blake Nelson (Johan Kling, Will Reedy) put Bethel on the board 2:32 into the first. Just over three minutes later Hamline tied it up at 1-1 seconds after Bethel killed off its first penalty.

Seth Bacon scored Bethel's third power play goal of the series with a backhand shot that crossed the line. Jory McWilliams and Curtis Hansen had tape-to-tape passing setting up Bacon to score his first of the year. The Royals killed off two more penalties to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Both teams kept each other off the board in the second where BU held the shot advantage 10-6. 

Out of the second break, Hamline found the equalizer just under three minutes into the third after killing off an early penalty. Bethel hung tough as Hamline couldn't clear it out of the zone as Tom Nagle picked up the takeaway. Nagle found Josiah Roen off to his left where Roen fired a wrister to the top shelf putting BU back on top 3-2.

BU went on the man advantage at the 3:42 mark before taking a penalty themselves 51 seconds later making it 4-on-4. The Royals then had to kill off one more penalty making them 12-for-12 on the weekend.

It seemed as if the Royals were going to hold on but Hamline took advantage of an empty net with the extra skater scoring the equalizer with 30 seconds remaining.

Neither team broke the tie in the 5-on-5 overtime meaning each were going home with at least a point. The Royals were still skating well as they went on a 4-on-3 power play in the second overtime. There it was Tyler Mros who lit up the lamp earning Bethel the extra point.