BLAINE, Minn – The Bethel Royals picked up a big mid-season win Friday night, earning a 5-3 victory over the UW-River Falls Falcons at the Bethel University Arena.
Bethel jumped out early and never looked back, getting contributions up and down the lineup in a balanced offensive effort. After a tight opening frame, the Royals broke through with the game's first goal late in the first period as senior forward Tyler Braccini put Bethel ahead 1-0 at 15:38 with help from sophomore Chase Beacom.
The Royals carried momentum into the second period, striking for three unanswered goals to extend their lead. Senior Spencer Kring and sophomore Jake Svenddal each found the back of the net before junior Joe Westlund added a power-play marker to give Bethel a commanding 4-0 advantage midway through the frame. Dylan Smith got River Falls on the board with a late second-period tally, but Bethel held a 4-1 lead entering the third.
UW-River Falls mounted a rally early in the third period, capitalizing on power-play opportunities to pull within one on goals by Gavin Middendorf and Keenan Ingram. But Bethel responded with a clutch goal from junior Jeremiah Konkel with just over a minute remaining to seal the 5-3 victory.
The Royals outshot the Falcons 30-24 and saw senior Marco Duronio turn in a strong performance between the pipes, making key stops to preserve the lead.
With the win, Bethel improves to 6-6-1 on the season, bolstering its position in conference play and building momentum as the schedule heats up. The Royals will continue the second half of MIAC play next weekend at Augsburg University on Friday, January 16th at 7pm.
