MINNEAPOLIS – The Bethel men's hockey team surrendered three goals in the third to the Augsburg Auggies, dropping its first MIAC matchup of the 2024 half of the season, 4-3.
With the loss, the Royals move to a record of 10-4-2 overall and 4-2-1 in MIAC play where the sit tied for second with the Auggies as both teams have totaled 12 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• In the scoreless first period, the Auggies found a narrow edge, claiming a shots-on-goal lead over the Royals, 13-11.
• The second period of play proved more eventful later on when the Auggies opened up scoring at 15:35, slotting the puck horizontally in front of the net and banking it in off of the post past netminder
Austin Ryman.
• The Royals responded just one minute later as
Logan Anderson won a scuffle in front of the net and tapped the puck in for a goal, assisted by
Tyler Kostelecky and
Justin Kelley.
• Augsburg received the first penalty of the game at 17:26, and
Jack Brown earned a power-play goal off of
Joe Westlund's rebounded shot, setting the Royals ahead, 2-1, heading into the final period.
• But the Auggies came out hard in the third period, striking at 1:26 on a power-play opportunity with a slap shot right off of a faceoff and tying up the game at twos all around.
• Augsburg went on to score two more unanswered goals at 2:06 and again late in the period at 17:37, tallying four goals against Ryman–matching his season high of goals against set by the Milwaukee School of Engineering on Nov. 25, 2023.
• Bethel opted to pull Ryman from the net in favor of a sixth skater as the final seconds ticked away, and
Spencer Kring was able to skate the puck up and flick it past the Auggie goaltender with 44 seconds remaining.
• A late attempt at a comeback fizzled out for Bethel as the Auggies were able to shut down any further offensive opportunities and dealt the Royals their fourth loss of the season.
UP NEXT
The Royals head back to home ice at the Blaine Super Rink tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 13, for another round with the Auggies. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m.
