ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Beloit College Buccaneers kicked off their 2025-26 ice hockey season on the road this evening, facing a tough Bethel (MN) Royals squad. Despite a valiant effort and a strong start, the Buccaneers ultimately fell to the Royals with a final score of 6-2.

From the outset, the Buccaneers showed flashes of determination, even drawing first blood in the opening period. Tommy Kundinger (Neenah, WI), assisted by Zach Hutchinson (West Salem, WI) and Sky Solig (Warroad, MN), netted the Buccaneers' first goal of the season and first in school history at 15:10 in the first period, giving Beloit an early lead. 

However, the second period proved to be a challenging one for the Buccaneers, as the Royals found their rhythm and capitalized on power-play opportunities, scoring four unanswered goals. Beloit's Andrew Yocum (St. Louis, MO) faced a barrage of shots, making 12 saves in the period, but the Royals' offense proved too much to contain.

Beloit managed to find the back of the net once more in the third period, with Kundinger scoring his second goal of the game, assisted by Mac Reed (Waunakee, WI) and Ben Stewart (Dayton, OH).

Despite the loss, Beloit showed flashes of individual brilliance and collective effort. Goaltender Yocum was a standout, making an impressive 32 saves throughout the game against a high-powered Bethel offense that unleashed 39 shots on target. The Buccaneers also had their moments on offense, attempting 23 shots, with 12 reaching the net.

Beloit's special teams will be an area of focus moving forward, as they went 0-for-1 on the power play while Bethel capitalized on two of their five power-play opportunities. Faceoff control was another battleground, with Beloit winning 24 of 70 draws. Kaden Milles (Fairbanks, AK) led the Buccaneers in faceoff wins with 8.

The Buccaneers have a decent break before they are back on the ice. They host Augsburg University of November 12th for their first home game at the Woodman's center in Janesville, Wisconsin. Game time is set for 7:30 pm.