WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior J.D. Ayer (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) netted a hat trick as Bentley University knocked off Assumption 10-5 on Tuesday night to even the Falcons' record to 2-2 in Northeast-10 play.

Bentley led 5-3 at halftime, and the teams engaged in a defensive struggle in the third quarter. No goals were scored until Ayer found the back of the net for a third time with just two seconds left in the quarter.

That goal propelled Bentley forward and they took control in the fourth. Freshman Bobby Hinds (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) scored 58 seconds into the quarter to give the Falcons a 7-3 lead. Senior Brendan Grant (Walpole, Mass./Xaverian Brothers) made it 8-3 for Bentley with his first goal of the game at the 8:56 mark.

Assumption scored the next two goals in a span of 44 seconds to get to within 8-5 with 6:58 remaining, but Bentley got the next goal at the 4:45 mark courtesy of Hinds for some breathing room. Senior Richard Travers (Longmeadow, Mass./Longmeadow) scored the last goal of the game with 1:06 left.

Sophomore goalie Brian Karl (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) made eight saves for the Falcons, who improve to 2-5 overall. Assumption falls to 2-8 overall and 1-5 in the NE-10.

Bentley led 2-1 after the first quarter, with the goals coming from Ayer and Travers. After Ayer scored again 3:30 into the second quarter for a 3-1 lead, junior Dan Keefer (Wayland, Mass./Wayland) and freshman Matt Dente (Reading, Mass./Reading) scored just nine seconds apart, starting with 6:59 left in the quarter, to put Bentley up 5-1. Assumption though got the last two goals of the half from senior Tom Guido and freshman Ty Martina.

The Falcons resume their home stand with a date with the second ranked team in Division II, Le Moyne, on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.