Box Score ST. PAUL, Minn. – With 37 saves from goaltender Marco Duronio in his college debut, the Bethel men's hockey team won a hard-fought battle against Hamline taking the regular season finale, 6-4, and completing a sweep of the Pipers.
 
The win rises BU's MIAC record to 11-3-2. It's the most conference wins since the 2007-08 and the .750 MIAC winning percentage is the best since the 2006-07 season. At 17-5-3 overall the Royals boast the most wins in a season, so far, since 2006-07 and are one win away from tying the program record for wins in a season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Brett Morich put the Royals on the board early on in the first period, nabbing a loose puck near the blue line and burying the puck in the bottom left corner of the Piper net at 4:10.
• Tyler Braccini built on the lead just a minute later on a power-play, flinging the puck past the Piper goaltender from just inside the offensive zone at 5:09.
• Hamline finally answered back at 8:41 with a fast shot past BU goaltender Marco Duronio in his first career start.
• A string of penalties set the Royals down a player or two for several minutes, but Sam Wilhite gave the Royals a two-goal cushion once again heading into the first period. At 17:58, he snuck the puck into the Piper net from just outside the crease, giving them a 3-1 lead.
• Braccini earned a second goal just thirty seconds into the second period, drilling a one-timer off of a pass from Spencer Kring to give them a three-goal lead.
• The Pipers fought back hard, scoring two goals in the second period at 3:27 and 15:29 before adding a third unanswered at 4:29 in the third to tie it up, 4-4.
• Tyler Kostelecky won a scuffle in front of the Piper net at 11:59 to put the Royals up, 5-4.
• Penalties adding up to 18 minutes for the Royals made the last few minutes tense, with the Pipers pulling their goaltender at 18:40 to have an extra skater opportunity, but Duronio held down the net, and Caydon Meyer earned a short-handed empty net goal at 19:43 to secure the Royal win.
 
UP NEXT
The No. 2 seeded-Royals will host a MIAC Playoff game for the first time since 2007 when they host third-seeded St. Scholastica on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. inside Bethel University Arena.