ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict hockey team played right with Bethel Wednesday night, and matched the Royals nearly shot for shot while committing just two penalties, but those penalties turned out to be an Achilles heel for the Bennies.
 
Bethel scored two power play goals and added a quick third goal late in the second to hold on for a 3-2 win over CSB Wednesday night in St. Cloud. Saint Benedict is now 0-5-1 overall and 0-3-1 in the MIAC while the Royals improve to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the league.
 
It was the Bennies who got on the board first Wednesday night when Jamie Benzie scored the first goal of her collegiate career at the 12:50 mark of the first period off an assist from senior Morgan Newpower. That lead held until early in the second when the Bennies were called for a delay of game penalty and the Royals tied the game just over a minute into the period, and the power play.
 
The third period was a big one for the Royals, as they added a second power play goal eight seconds into a CSB penalty with less than two minutes to play, and then added a full-strength goal less than 30 seconds later to go up 3-2.
 
Brynn Sexauer got CSB within one with her third goal of the season, but Bethel held on for the win. Corrine Brown and Julia Pias assisted on Sexauer's goal.
 
In her second outing of the season, goalie Maggie Gilchrist made 27 saves, including 13 in a busy second period. Saint Benedict had 27 shots on net to the Royals' 30. Annika Brodt led the team with five shots on net, and Kendall Johnson paced the defense with four blocked shots.
 
CSB has two more games schedule this week – one on the road Saturday, Feb. 27 at Augsburg, and one more Sunday, Feb. 28, when they host Concordia in a makeup game from earlier this season.