Box Score USAFA, Colo. – Five different players scored, led by captain Max French (West Kelowna, B.C./West Kelowna) with two, in Bentley University's 6-1 win at Air Force Saturday night at Cadet Ice Arena in Colorado. The win gives the Falcons a split of the Atlantic Hockey series.
Bentley controlled the game throughout and never trailed after French opened the scoring just 21 seconds after puck drop with his first goal of the season, assisted by Jake Ahlgren (Fergus Falls, Minn./Wenatchee) and Matt Riggleman (Milford, Mich./Sioux Falls).
The Falcons turned a 3-1 game with just over seven minutes gone in the 3rd period into a runaway late with three late goals. Freshman Jonathan Desbiens (Montreal, Quebec/West Kelowna) scored the big one at the 7:19 mark to give Bentley a 4-1 advantage, which was his 2nd goal of the series and assisted by Jake Kauppila (Gurnee, Ill./Trail) and Andrew McDonald (New Brighton, Minn./Fargo).
Freshman defenseman Connor Brassard (Fitchburg, Mass./Jersey Hitmen) scored a shorthanded, empty-net goal at the 13:05 mark, and French added another empty-net goal at 18:00 as Bentley finished the night off emphatically.
Bentley led 2-0 after the first period on French's aforementioned goal, and a goal by McDonald at 15:06. The Falcons kept Air Force off the scoreboard until past the midway point of the 2nd period, but forward A.J. Reid got the hosts on the scoreboard to cut into Bentley's lead at 2-1. Schmidt though restored Bentley's two goal lead just before intermission with his 2nd of the season 1:16 before the break.
Bentley goaltender Jayson Argue (Swan River, Manitoba/Nanaimo) made 27 saves to pick up his 2nd victory of the season. The Falcons improved their record to 1-1 in Atlantic Hockey games, and 2-2-1 overall.
The squad will return to the ice on Friday night when they open a series with RIT at the JAR.
