Bentley continues dominance over FPU Lax

by Austin Callaway

It was a gloomy Saturday afternoon during the matchup between Franklin Pierce and Bentley University on March 30th. The smell of spring filled the air as cold raindrops fell on Sodexo Field during the pre-game warm ups, and thankfully the weather cleared just as the game began, leaving wet bleachers for spectators.

 

With a 4-1 record entering this game against Bentley, the Ravens tried to continue their hot start to the season against a team that has continuously had their number over the course of an entire decade. Franklin Pierce has only beaten Bentley once over the past ten years and that dominance continued, as Bentley silenced the Ravens’ offense.

In a tightly contested first quarter, Domenic St. Laurent scored with 10:23 remaining as his shot sneaked right between the legs of the Bentley goaltender, Michael Haggan. Fans made their presence known with cheering and hard stomps on the bleachers, but it wasn’t long before the Ravens found the game slipping away from them after an impressive six unanswered goals by the Falcons. As the first half concluded, with a score of 6-1, The Ravens knew they had to change their game plan to have a chance at coming back. Head Coach Rick Senatore was animated on the side lines throughout the game, encouraging his players as well as sticking up for them when the officials ruled a call against his team, especially on a call when the officials ruled possession to the Falcons. Senatore was livid and ran up to an official and got in his face. Assistant coaches had to pull Senatore away before an ejection occurred.

 

The Ravens came out in the second half with an electrifying pace, quickly scoring two goals in the first two minutes of the third quarter, thanks to Josh Dorr and Jake Castorf. But on the other side, Bentley had the mindset of not allowing a comeback, and ended up outscoring the Ravens in the third quarter, the score was 10-4 entering the fourth quarter.

 

The Ravens knew the game was slipping away. They get the deficit to three goals towards the end of the fourth with the help of Mike Albrandi and Jake Castorf, but the Ravens ran out of time and fell to the Falcons 10-7.

 

Unfortunately, The Raven’s late run in the fourth quarter didn’t really feel like a run. Bentley looked comfortable with their lead and they didn’t feel threatened by the 3 unanswered goals they gave up in the fourth because they played such relaxed defense. Bentley dominated possessions and had the better goalie in Mike Haggan, who faced 22 shots and gave up seven goals.

 

The Ravens took on Le Moyne College on April 2^nd, Assumption College on April 6^th, and Merrimack College on April 10^th, all resulting in losses. After facing a four-game losing streak, the Ravens bounced back with a win against Southern New Hampshire University on April 12^th. After 10 games, the Ravens stand with a record of 5-5.