BLAINE, Minn. – The Bethel University men's hockey team dropped the first of two meetings this weekend against Saint John's, 4-2.

SJU's (2-1) Travis Brown began his hat trick performance putting the Johnnies up 2-0 with a goal four minutes into the first and 1:24 into the second.

Bethel (2-1) got one back when the rare goalie assist play came to fruition. A shot by the Johnnies from center ice allowed netminder Ridge Gerads to make an easy save before clearing it through the air and into the neutral zone. Carter Wagner took control from there skating behind the net before finding Dylan Giorgio for the point blank shot. Wagner has now tallied a point in all three of Bethel's games.

While BU couldn't capitalize on its six power play opportunities, the Johnnies took care of business scoring shorthanded and on the man advantage making it 4-1.

What had been a disciplined Royals team began to find themselves a man down late allowing SJU 5:45 of power play time through the final 14 minutes.

Freshman Ben Ward tallied his first collegiate goal with assists from Josiah Roen and Jarrett Cammarata at the 18:53 mark in the third.

The two teams meet again Sunday in St. Cloud for the MIAC opener. Puck drop comes at 2 p.m. inside the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.