BLAINE, Minn. – Bethel University's men's hockey team battled hard but fell 0–2 to Saint Mary's University (Minn.) Saturday night at Bethel University Arena. After a scoreless first period full of physical play and relentless forechecking from both teams, the Royals worked to generate offense and create momentum. Bethel's penalty kill stood strong early, and senior goaltender Marco Duronio kept his team in the game with several timely saves as the Cardinals built pressure. Despite sustained pressure from Bethel's top lines, the score remained deadlocked heading into the second period.

In the second period, Saint Mary's broke through at 17:42 on a power play that beat the Royals' defense, giving the Cardinals a 1–0 lead. Bethel pushed to even the score, with forwards like Tyler Braccini and Luke Lindsay driving to the net and generating scoring opportunities. The Royals continued to battle in all three zones, but Saint Mary's goaltending remained stout and the Bethel attack couldn't find the equalizer. Early in the third period, Saint Mary's added an insurance goal at 15:30, and though Bethel pressed late with speed and physicality from Joe Kelly, Spencer Kring, and Jack Brown, the score held. Duronio finished with a strong performance between the pipes, stopping numerous quality chances and keeping Bethel within striking distance until the final whistle.

Bethel outshot Saint Mary's in this contest, owning a 37-35 edge in shots on goal for the night. Duronio finished with 23 saves, facing a steady stream of looks and keeping the Royals within striking distance until the final buzzer. Bethel's offensive pressure was most evident in the third period, when the Royals outshot the Cardinals 12-8 but couldn't find the back of the net in the late stages. The competitive edge shown in shot volume reflected Bethel's persistence and willingness to attack at every opportunity.

Up next for Bethel men's hockey is a weekend series on the road at Concordia College (Minn.) with puck drop Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m., both part of the MIAC regular-season slate.