NORTHFIELD, Minn. – First year Tyler Cooper registered the first four-goal performance in recorded program history to lead the St. Olaf College men's soccer team to a 5-2 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) victory over Bethel University on Saturday at St. Olaf Ice Arena.

Cooper scored once in each of the first two periods and added a pair of third-period goals to propel St. Olaf (4-7-2, 3-3-1 MIAC) to the win over Bethel (6-3-1, 2-2-1 MIAC) and three points in the conference standings. The first year's four-goal night was the first hat trick for an Ole since Chris Koziel had three goals in a 6-2 win at Gustavus on Nov. 4, 2017 and the first time a St. Olaf skater scored four goals since at least 2001.

The four-goal outing brought Cooper's tally to eight goals to go with six assists in 11 games so far this season. The eight goals and 14 points both rank second in the conference to date.

Cooper opened the scoring at 16:32 of the first period by firing the puck into an open net from in front after first year Connor Kalthoff's shot ricocheted to Cooper off the back wall. Junior Ashton Altmann made it 2-0 just 47 seconds later, scoring in front after being set up by a no-look backhand pass from first year Sean Walsh from behind the goal.

St. Olaf maintained the two-goal lead until Ben Doherty got the Royals on the board at 15:56 of the second period, but the Oles got the goal back less than two minutes later on Cooper's second of the game. Cooper completed his hat trick on the power play at 5:50 of the third period, blasting home a one-timer from the left circle to push St. Olaf's lead to 4-1.

Bethel got a power-play goal of its own from Jake Herter five minutes later to cut its deficit back to two. Cooper tacked on an insurance goal with a length-of-the-ice empty-net goal with 2:08 remaining after the Royals pulled their goalie in search of a way back into the game.

The Oles held a 27-23 advantage in shots on goal in the game and got a 21-save outing from sophomore Lukas Haugen in his second collegiate start. Haugen had just three saves to make in the third period with St. Olaf protecting the lead. Ridge Gerads made 22 stops in the loss for the visitors.

Head coach Eddie Effinger's team is back in action on home ice on Friday, Dec. 31 at 5 p.m.