BLAINE, Minn. – The No. 15-ranked St. Olaf College men's hockey team began 2026 by skating to a 1-1 tie with Bethel University in a non-conference game on Saturday evening at Bethel University Arena at the National Sports Center.

After not playing since Nov. 30, St. Olaf (6-2-3) took an early lead on a goal by junior Joey Kennelly and held the lead until Bethel (5-6-1) tied it late in the second on a goal by Tyler Braccini. The Royals took all seven of the shots on goal in the five-minute overtime period and went on to get the only goal of the inconsequential shootout from Jack Brown in the fourth round. St. Olaf was ranked No. 15 nationally in the most recent USCHO Division III Men's Poll and the latest D-III Hockey News Men's Poll.

Sophomore Matthew Malin made double-digit saves in all three periods and seven more in overtime to finish with 42 saves for the third 40-save performance of his career. Malin also made saves on Bethel's first three attempts in the shootout, which do not count towards his total. The tie moved Malin's record to 2-0-2 on the season in four starts and moved his season save percentage to .959.

Kennelly gave the Oles an early lead just 5:43 in by redirecting a shot by senior Gunnar Johnson from the left point for his first goal of the season and the 10th of his career. Johnson earned his fourth assist of the season, while first year Carl Ericksen picked up his first collegiate assist after getting the puck back to Johnson.

Senior Jonathan Panisa nearly made it 2-0 midway through the first period but hit the pipe for the first of two times in the game, as St. Olaf carried the 1-0 lead into the second intermission. Bethel evened the game at 1-1 at 16:14 of the second period when Braccini, the reigning MIAC Offensive Player of the Year, spun and fired the puck into the top-left corner from straight on during a delayed penalty call.

Both teams hit the pipe in the final 20 minutes, with Panisa doing so for the second time in the game just over 40 seconds in. Logan Anderson nearly won it for Bethel with one minute remaining but hit the crossbar. The Royals controlled the puck for most of the 3-on-3 overtime and thought they got a winning goal with 18 seconds left, but Malin clawed the puck out from near the goal line off a shot by Spencer Kring on a 3-on-2 rush.

Malin and Bethel's Marco Duronio denied the first seven combined shooters in the shootout before Brown scored for Bethel to end it. Duronio totaled 28 saves for the Royals, who enjoyed a 43-29 advantage in shots on goal in the game. The two teams combined for just three penalties in the game, as St. Olaf's power play, which entered the night seventh nationally at over 29 percent, was 0-for-2.

The Oles will return to MIAC play with a series against Hamline University next weekend, starting with a 7 p.m. puck drop at TRIA Rink in St. Paul on Friday, Jan. 9.