Box Score

BLAINE, Minn. – Saint John's hockey wrapped up the 2017 portion of its 2017-18 schedule with a 5-4 conference win at Bethel on Friday, Dec. 8, at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine.

Junior forward Evan Okeley's (Carmel, Ind.) second goal of the night with 7:54 remaining proved to be the game-winner for SJU (9-3-2, 5-2-0 MIAC). The Johnnies out-shot the Royals 39-23 in the game, which had four lead changes.

Sophomore forward Brady Heppner (Crookston, Minn.) gave SJU a 1-0 lead 6:47 into the game, his seventh goal and 15th point of the season, with a put-back on the side of the net. Junior forward Joe Chitwood (Carmel, Ind.) made the initial shot on goal and sophomore forward Kyle Wagner (St. Francis, Minn.) earned the second assist. Heppner now has 11 points (4g/7a) in five career games against the Royals, including seven (3g/4a) in three contests this season.

Senior forward Sam Valerius (Maple Grove, Minn.) made it 2-0 with a power-play goal, his 10th point (3g/7a) of the year, three minutes later with assists going to junior forwards Mitch Fritz (St. Cloud, Minn.) and Robb Stautz (Roseville, Minn.).

Bethel (1-13-0, 1-7-0 MIAC) erased its 2-0 deficit with three goals in a span of 1:13.

Peter Barral put BU on the board on a deflection in front with 25 seconds remaining in the first period. The goal was the Royals' first in the first period this season (out-scored 15-0) and snapped the team's scoreless streak at 282:21. Nick Eytcheson kept it in attempted clearance by SJU on the left side of the blue line and sent it toward the net, where Barral re-directed it to the right side of the net.

Johan Kling tied the game with a wrister from the blue line 19 seconds into the second period and Justin Bonanno took advantage of an SJU turnover to give the home team a 3-2 lead 29 seconds after that.

Junior forward Garrett Riebling (Chanhassen, Minn.) righted the ship for SJU with a power-play goal 4:57 into the second period. Okeley and senior forward Tyler Dunagan (Maple Grove, Minn.) each took aim at the BU goaltender and Riebling stuffed in a rebound on the backside of the net.

Okeley gave the Johnnies a 4-3 lead with a gift of a goal, a centering pass that went off a BU defenseman to the back of the net, with 11:27 left in the second. Unlike soccer, an own goal in hockey is credited to the last offensive player that touched the puck (Okeley). SJU had 1:42 with a 5-on-3 power play later in the period but did not score.
 
Bonanno tied the game at 4-4 with a power-play goal 5:16 into the third period, 32 seconds after SJU killed off an earlier penalty. The Johnnies were whistled for three penalties in the first 6:28 of the third period.

Sophomore goaltender Mac Berglove (Elk River, Minn.) made 19 saves to improve to 5-1-1 (3-1-0 MIAC) on the year.

SJU has now won eight straight games against BU, and 12 of the last 13.

The Johnnies return to action in the New Year with a 7 p.m. non-conference game on Thursday, Jan. 11, against Wisconsin-Eau Claire at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.