BLAINE, Minn. – The St. Olaf College men's hockey team dropped its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) opener to Bethel University by a 2-1 score in overtime on Friday night at the National Sports Center.

Sophomore Kelijah McElroy gave St. Olaf (1-2-0, 0-1-0 MIAC) the lead with just over three seconds remaining in the second period, but Bethel (3-0-0, 1-0-0 MIAC) answered early in the third period to eventually send the game to overtime. In the extra session, the Royals, who received votes in this week's USCHO national poll, claimed the extra point on a goal by Tyler Kostelecky at the 3:06 mark.

After the two teams combined for just nine shots on goal in the opening period, they generated 23 in the second period, but the game remained scoreless until McElroy's goal with 3.1 seconds to go. After sophomore Gunnar Johnson dug the puck off the boards, first year Tyler Green drove up the ice along the left board and fed the puck across to McElroy, who turned it in for the fourth goal of his career. Green's assist was his first collegiate point.

Bethel got the goal back at the 3:15 mark of the third period when Luke French scored from near the left point after getting the puck through traffic in front. The Royals outshot the Oles by a 16-1 margin in the final period, but senior Lukas Haugen made 12 saves after French's goal to help push the game to overtime.

Junior Jonathan Young had a chance to win it for St. Olaf less than a minute into overtime, but Austin Ryman denied Young on a two-on-one rush. Kostelecky was the hero for Bethel later in the 3-on-3 session, kicking the puck home after Braeden Bartoo's shot was blocked in front following a faceoff in the Royals' offensive zone.

Haugen finished the night with 34 saves in his second start of the season for the ninth 30-save performance of his career. Ryman collected the victory for Bethel with a 17-save evening. Both teams had just one chance on the power play in the game and were unable to convert.

The Oles and Royals wrap up their series at 5 p.m. at St. Olaf Ice Arena on Saturday, Nov. 4.