BLAINE, Minn. — The Bethel Royals women's hockey team delivered one of their strongest performances of the season on Saturday afternoon, shutting out Hamline 4–0. After a scoreless opening period, the Royals took control in the second and never looked back.
Freshman Rylen Kissell sparked the scoring at 3:33 of the second period for her first collegiate goal, burying a setup from Sophie Martin. Bethel doubled its lead midway through the frame when Beth Vincent (Velasco) finished a feed from Brayley VanDenBerg. With less than a minute remaining in the period, Alison Hoerer added another, assisted by Kallie Tibbetts, sending the Royals into the intermission with a commanding 3–0 advantage.
Bethel kept the momentum rolling into the third. At the 11-minute mark, Sophie Martin extended the lead to 4–0, capitalizing on passes from Kissell and Trinity Jackson to cap off a standout offensive afternoon for the Royals.
Goaltender Ashley Gustafson (Hess) was flawless, stopping all 29 shots she faced to secure the shutout. Bethel's defensive discipline also played a key role, as the Royals held Hamline's power play in check and limited quality scoring chances throughout the game.
With the victory, Bethel improves to 3–3-0 on the year and 1–3-0 in conference play, handing previously unbeaten Hamline its first loss of the season. The Royals will look to carry this momentum into their next matchup against The College of Saint Benedict on December 5th at home as they continue to build consistency heading into the heart of the schedule.
