ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The No. 4 Bethel University Men's Hockey team saw its 2025-26 season come to a close Saturday night, falling 1-4 to top-seeded Saint John's in the MIAC Semifinals at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.
Despite the result, the Royals battled throughout the night and generated consistent offensive pressure, finishing with 52 shots while earning their third consecutive MIAC semifinal appearance.
Saint John's opened the scoring midway through the first period, capitalizing on a power-play opportunity at the 10:31 mark to take a 1-0 lead.
Bethel responded late in the opening frame as Connor Brazil delivered a key equalizer. Brazil created his own opportunity and scored unassisted at 17:11 of the first period, evening the score at 1-1 and shifting momentum back toward the Royals heading into the intermission.
Both teams continued to trade chances early in the second period before the Johnnies regained the lead with a goal at 5:25, putting Bethel back in a one-goal deficit.
The Royals continued to press offensively, outshooting Saint John's over the course of the night and creating multiple scoring opportunities, including nine shots from Tyler Braccini and six from Joe Westlund. However, Saint John's goaltender turned aside 51 shots to preserve the advantage.
Saint John's extended its lead midway through the third period with another goal at the 9:11 mark, creating separation. The Johnnies later added an empty-net goal in the final minutes to secure the 4-1 semifinal victory.
In net, senior Austin Ryman turned in a strong performance for the Royals, recording 26 saves and keeping Bethel within striking distance throughout much of the contest.
The Royals conclude the season with a 14-12-1 overall record and continued their recent stretch of postseason success. Bethel reached the MIAC Semifinals for the third consecutive season and fourth time in the past five years, highlighting the program's consistency and growth within one of Division III's top conferences.
Saturday's contest also marked the final collegiate game for Bethel's senior class, whose leadership helped guide the Royals to multiple postseason appearances and continued to elevate the program's competitive standard.
