Box Score Waltham, Mass. – Sophomore Brendan Hamblet (Hopkinton, Mass.) scored 2:03 into overtime to give the Bentley University hockey team a 4-3 victory over Air Force on Friday night at Bentley Arena, which extended the team's unbeaten streak to eight games.
The Falcons are now 6-0-2 in their last eight games, and with the win tonight, improved their Atlantic Hockey record to 10-7-2.
Bentley trailed 3-2 late in the 3rd period, but junior Jonathan Desbiens (Montreal, Quebec) scored another clutch goal to tie the score. The goal came with 2:18 remaining, and was his 5th straight game with a goal.
The overtime winner came after defenseman Brett Orr (Elkhorn, Manitoba) got the play started by passing the puck into the offensive zone, to Ryner Gorowsky (Lino Lakes, Minn.) on the far side. Gorowsky then passed the puck down low to freshman Will Garin (Mound, Minn.), who had a shot on net saved by Air Force goalie Billy Christopoulos.
Hamblet then jumped on the rebound and wristed it past Christopoulos for the winner to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
Desbiens' tying goal in the 3rd came after some persistent work down low by senior Drew Callin (Middleton, Wisc.). Callin first had a wrap-around shot saved by Christopoulos, but Desbiens was there on the far post to fire in the rebound to tie the score 3-3 with 2:18 left
Earlier in the game, the first period ended scoreless, but the teams took little time to get on the scoreboard in the 2nd period. The teams combined for three goals in a span of just 29 seconds in the opening minute, with Air Force ahead 2-1 after the goals rush.
Air Force scored first on the power play, from right wing Kieran Durgan 23 seconds into the period. But Bentley responded with a goal by Gorowsky just 23 seconds later. Gorowsky first had a shot saved by Christopoulos, but Garin battled the puck back for Bentley and passed to sophomore Luke Santerno (Smithers, B.C.) in the right face-off circle. Santerno then passed to Gorowsky down low for the goal.
However off the ensuing face-off, Air Force took the lead back just six seconds later on a goal by Trevor Stone.
Bentley tied it back up just under two minutes later on sophomore Michael Zuffante's (Bloomingdale, Ill.) 6th goal of the year. Off a face-off win in the defensive zone, Bentley pushed the puck up the ice. Freshman Will Schlagenhauf (Carmel, Ind.) skated down the left wing for a two-on-one, and with Zuffante trailing him. Schlagenhauf laid off a pass that Zuffante fired past Christopoulos for the goal to tie the game 2-2 at 2:45 of the 2nd.
The score stayed 2-2 until just past the midway point of the 3rd period, when Air Force's Evan Giesler put them in front at the 10:16 mark with a power play goal.
