WALTHAM, Mass. – Coming off the win over #4 ranked Maine, Bentley begins 2025 with an Atlantic Hockey series on the road against Niagara. Game times are 7:00 pm on Friday and 5:00 pm on Saturday.
Sunday's win was the first over a top-five ranked team in program history. The Falcons received 33 points in this week's USCHO poll, the second most of any team outside of the top-20. Only New Hampshire with 94 points received more points outside of the top-20.
In the victory over the Black Bears,
Connor Hasley made a career high 43 saves. Four different players had goals. Defenseman
Sam Duerr scored the game-winner late in the 2
nd period and
Tanner Main notched an empty-netter with 10 seconds left to seal it.
Bentley begins 2025 with an 11-5-2 overall record. In Atlantic Hockey they are 9-2-1 for 29 points and in second place, and they have four games in-hand on first place Sacred Heart, which has 32 points.
The Purple Eagles are 8-8-3 overall and 7-4-2 in Atlantic Hockey for 24 points, which has them in third place. They last played on Dec. 30 in a 5-2 exhibition win over Guelph. Their last AHA games were at Air Force on Dec. 6-7 and it was a split with a 3-2 win in the first game and a 4-2 loss in the second game.
The Falcons come into the weekend ranked 16
th nationally in scoring defense at 2.2 goals per game and T-5
th in fewest shots allowed at 24.1. They've allowed two goals or fewer in 11 of 18 games this season.
Offensively, Bentley is 21
st nationally in goals scored per game at 3.11, which ranks third in Atlantic Hockey.
Ethan Leyh leads the squad with 19 points (7g, 12a), which ranks third in the AHA.
The Falcons have won four straight over Niagara. They swept at Bentley Arena last season in early November by scores of 6-2 and 2-1. They also swept on their last visit to Dwyer Arena in the 2022-23 season by scores of 6-3 and 6-1.
All-time, the teams have played 30 times and Niagara has a slight edge at 15-12-3.
