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ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Saint John's ended its 2012 season with a 27-22 loss at No. 22/25 Bethel on Saturday, Nov. 10, in Arden Hills.
SJU (5-5, 3-5 MIAC) scored points on all three first-half possessions but settled for field goals on two of the drives.
Senior Jimmie Mattson (Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) answered a Bethel field goal on the game's first possession with a 49-yard field goal of his own to tie it at 3-3.
The Royals (8-2, 6-2 MIAC) answered with a 12-play, 77-yard drive that ended on a one-yard touchdown from Jesse Phenow to give BU a 10-3 lead.
The Johnnies rolled 57 yards before stalling, setting up a 44-yard field goal by Mattson to cut the deficit to 10-6.
BU made it 17-6 with a 78-yard scoring drive on the ensuing possession. Quarterback Erik Peterson looked to be stuffed on a fourth-and-one attempt from the one-yard line but was ruled to have crossed the goal line by the far linesman.
SJU fought back with a 71-yard scoring drive of its own, which ended on a two-yard touchdown run from senior Harry Awe (St. Paul, Minn./Minnehaha Academy). The Johnnies took advantage of a personal foul penalty on third-and-15 and two pass-interference calls, one of which was a third-and-10, to set up the score.
The home team cruised 50 yards in 1:09 before senior Bobby Fischer (Plymouth, Minn./Osseo) intercepted Peterson on the SJU seven-yard line to end the scoring threat.
Bethel took advantage of an interception on the Johnnies' opening drive of the second half and made it 24-13 on another short touchdown run from Phenow seven plays later.
The Johnnies took the kickoff and cruised into a first-and-goal situation on the Bethel nine-yard line, but the offense stalled. Mattson's 27-yard field goal cut the SJU deficit to 24-16.
After the teams exchanged punts, the only punts of the game for each team, BU settled for a 19-yard field goal after its own first-and-goal situation from the nine-yard line.
On the ensuing possession, SJU took advantage of a personal-foul penalty on third-and-20 and a pass-interference call on fourth-and-seven, but turned the ball over on downs on the BU 27.
The Royals advanced to the SJU 10, milking over three minutes off the clock, but Peterson's pass on fourth-and-four was intercepted by junior Dylan Graves (Mora, Minn.) and returned to the SJU 32.
Junior Connor Bruns (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield) completed six of his passes on the next drive, including a 10-yard strike to sophomore Rob Voshell (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen), to cut the deficit to 27-22. The two-point conversion pass, however, fell incomplete and the onside-kick attempt did not travel the required 10 yards, ending the game.
Bruns finished 28 of 49 passing for 258 yards. Senior Stephen Johnson (Mahtomedi, Minn.) led the SJU ground game, which was out-gained 217-52, with 32 yards on nine carries. Freshman Josh Bungum (Paynesville, Minn.) caught seven passes for 84 yards.
Senior Taylor Dammermann (Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer) collected 19 tackles (seven solo) on the day.
Peterson was 23 of 33 passing for 267 yards and added 106 yards on 12 carries. Phenow totaled 76 yards on 24 attempts. Mitch Hallstrom hauled in nine passes for 123 yards.
Bethel out-gained SJU 484-310 in the game, converted eight of its 15 third-down attempts and was 3-for-4 on fourth down.
SJU head coach John Gagliardi ended his 64th season with a 489-138-11 (.775) career record, including a 465-132-10 (.774) record in 60 seasons at SJU.
