Box Score

BLAINE, Minn. – Saint John's hockey scored six unanswered goals in a 6-1, non-conference win over Bethel as part of the MIAC Showcase on Sunday, Oct. 28, at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine.

Six Johnnies had a pair of points in the win, SJU's (1-1 overall) first of the season. 

Bethel (0-2 overall) took advantage of an SJU turnover near the defensive half-wall to gain a 1-0 lead with 10:51 left in the first period.

Senior forward Matt Colford (Champlin, Minn.) tied it at 1-1 with a pretty one-timer on the power play with 45 seconds left in the opening frame. 

The Johnnies took control of the game with three goals in the second period. Senior forward Joe Chitwood (Carmel, Ind.) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, his second tally of the weekend, 4:03 into the second frame. Junior forward Brady Heppner (Crookston, Minn.) padded the lead with a sneaky steal near the crease with 12:11 left in the second. The unassisted goal was the 20th of his collegiate career.

Junior captain Cole Souto (Yorba Linda, Calif.) unleashed a blast from the left faceoff circle, during a delayed penalty, to give SJU a 4-1 lead with 3:31 left in the second. 

Heppner tallied his second unassisted goal of the contest with 7:41 left and sophomore forward Ryan Kero (Hermantown, Minn.) ended the scoring 1:26 later with a power-play tally. The Johnnies were 2-for-5 on the man advantage (3-for-7 on the weekend), while the Royals were 0-for-6.

Sophomore goaltender Mac Berglove (Elk River, Minn.) made 26 saves in the win.

The Johnnies continue non-conference action with a pair of home games this weekend at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. SJU hosts Wisconsin-River Falls at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, followed by a 7 p.m. puck-drop Saturday, Nov. 3, against Wisconsin-Stout.