BLAINE, Minn. – Bethel University's men's hockey team turned in a spirited performance Friday night at the Bethel University Arena, rolling past the College of St. Scholastica 5-3 in MIAC action. The Royals fell behind early in the first period but answered with relentless pressure and timely scoring to seize control of the game.
Sophomore
Connor Brazil ignited Bethel's offense late in the opening frame, knotting the game at 1-1 just moments after the Saints had taken the lead. The Royals then flipped the script in the second period with a flurry of goals, as sophomore
Max Hamstad's finish tied the score and senior
Tyler Braccini's power-play strike pushed Bethel ahead. Bethel carried that momentum into the third period, where senior
Shane Lavelle tallied to extend the lead before sophomore
Joe Kelly added an insurance goal later in the period.
Throughout the night, Bethel's forwards attacked the net with purpose, combining to create consistent scoring chances and capitalize in crucial moments. Jeremiah Konkel and Braccini each contributed key assists, while Lavelle and Hamstad added depth to the Royals' offensive output. In net, senior Marco Duronio was steady and poised, turning aside 28 shots as he recorded the victory between the pipes.
Defensively, Bethel absorbed an early surge and tightened up in transition, limiting St. Scholastica's opportunities and allowing the Royals to dictate play for much of the middle two periods. Bethel's forecheck disrupted opposing breakout attempts, and the team's ability to sustain pressure in the offensive zone paid dividends as the game progressed.
The victory improves Bethel's conference mark and provides an important momentum boost as the Royals prepare to close out the weekend with a road tilt at St. Scholastica on Saturday. With contributions up and down the roster and a balanced scoring attack, Bethel demonstrated depth and resilience in front of a lively home crowd.
