The Aurora University men's hockey team hosted the annual Toys for Tots and Teddy Bear Toss event while hosting the Royals of Bethel University on Sunday night at the Fox Valley Ice Arena. Juliano Santalucia sent the teddy bears onto the Fox Valley Ice 2:24 into the game. Two short-handed goals in the third period were enough for Bethel to knock off the Spartans 4-2.


FINAL SCORE: Bethel University 4, Aurora University 2
LOCATION: Geneva, Illinois - Fox Valley Ice Arena. 
RECORDS: Aurora University 4-4-1 overall and 4-2-0 in the NCHA, Bethel University 6-2 overall 


- 2:24 into the game Spartan Juliano Santalucia lit the lamp and sent the teddy bears onto the ice.
- Matt Weber forced a turnover in the offensive zone and found Santalucia for the goal.
- At 7:00 of the first, Bethel scored to tie the game off a rebound put back.
- 1:54 later at 8:54 of the first, Spartan Chayce Schmidt grabbed a loose puck in the Bethel zone and put the shot past the Royal netminder.
- The unassisted tally by Schmidt put AU up 2-1.
- JaCob Mucitelli made 17 saves in the opening 20 minutes as AU led 2-1 going to the first intermission.
- The second period was up and down the ice action for both teams with only one goal accounted for.
- With 20 seconds to go in the second, Bethel tied the game at 2-2.
- The teams would head to the final period tied 2-2.
- The third period saw both teams take trips to the penalty box with no goals accounted for in the early period chances.
- With 9:08 left in the third, Giovanni Procopio had a short-handed breakaway but his shot would go just wide as the score remained tied 2-2.
- With the Spartans on the power play with six minutes left in the third, Bethel scored two short-handed goals at 5:58 and 5:31.
- AU would fall to the Royals 4-2.


Points: Juliano Santalucia, Matt Weber, Jacob Brockman and Chayce Schmidt (1)
Goals: Juliano Santalucia and Chayce Schmidt (1)
Assists: Matt Weber and Jacob Brockman (1)
Saves: JaCob Mucitelli (32)
 

Next action for the Spartan men's hockey team will be in action again on Friday, December 1 when they travel to the University of Dubuque. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m. in Dubuque, Iowa.