SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Beloit College goaltender Alex Venning (Courtice, Ontario, Canada) faced 49 shots and stopped 45 of them, but the Buccaneers couldn't get anything past Bethel's Ava Brennan. Bethel (2-1-1) won 4-0 at Bethel University Arena in the National Sports Center in front of 122 fans. Beloit falls to 1-3-0.
Venning played all 60 minutes and was Beloit's most important player. He made 13 saves in the first period, 15 in the second and 17 in the third. Bethel outshot the Buccaneers 49-19, and Venning was often the only thing between the Royals and a bigger margin.
Bethel didn't score until 14:03 of the first period, when Myla Lubken beat Venning at even strength. Lubken got help from Maddy Schuster and Olivia Martin. By then Beloit had killed off nothing and created little: a Bethel cross-checking penalty on Tristyn Wolner gave the Buccaneers a power play from 11:48 to 13:48. Beloit's only shot with the extra skater was a Kylie Schryer (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) attempt that Brennan stopped, and the Royals scored 15 seconds after the penalty expired.
The Buccaneers' offense never found the net, but several players generated looks. Addison Gruhlke (Eau Claire, Wis.) led Beloit with four shots and tested Brennan early, with a shot saved at 0:46 of the opening period. Britni Detsch (Somerset, Wis.) put three shots on the Bethel goal and was one of the Buccaneers' most active forwards. Kennedy Gruhlke (Eau Claire, Wis.) added two shots, plus a blocked shot on defense. Schryer had two shots and two blocks, and won 8 of 19 faceoffs against Bethel's top centers. Natasha Ludwig (Royalton) had two shots, including a shot on the Beloit power play late in the second period.
Beloit's defense also did its share. Natalie Gurr (Okotoks, Alberta, Canada) blocked three shots, and Avery Sinclair (Fort Frances, Ontario) added one block and two shots of her own. Beloit blocked nine Bethel attempts in all.
Beloit got two power-play chances, in the first period and again at 18:45 of the second, when Wolner went off for interference. Each chance produced one shot, and neither produced a goal. Bethel was held without a goal on its only power play, which came after a Lily Huffman (Saginaw, MI) slashing penalty early in the second. Beloit limited Bethel to one shot on the penalty kill. Trinity Jackson hit the pipe moments after it ended.
Beloit trailed 1-0 after one period and 2-0 after two. Schuster's goal early in the third made it 3-0, and McQuay put the game out of reach with 5:26 left. Olson assisted on both of Bethel's third-period goals.
Bethel dominated the draw 42-18, led by Drury, who won 19 of 25 faceoffs. Alejandra Radcliffe (Vernon, BC) was Beloit's best at the dot, breaking even at 6-6.
The Bucs and Bethel face off again tomorrow at 2 pm.
