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Lacrosse team firing on all cylinders at start
Written by: Phillip St. Pierre
Bentley Lacrosse has not lost a step from last year’s successful season, starting this year out with wins in three of their first four games. The Falcons are one of the strongest teams in Division II, ranked fifth in the country by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Administration.
Bentley’s roster looks very strong this year, as the team has a number of returning lettermen who made a big impact on the team the past season. Four out of the six leading scorers from last season are returning for another year with the squad.
The Falcons also have an experienced senior class that has the ability to lead the team to victory. Some of the most notable names are defenseman Matt Allen, goalkeeper Andy Collette, midfielder Wyatt Couture, attack man Kevin Gould, and midfielder Brad Tunis.
Bentley finished last year with a record of 9-4, making it to the Northeast 10 semifinals before losing to Merrimack.
The Falcons were ranked #9 in the country at the beginning of this season, due to last year’s performance as well as to a big returning class.
The Falcons began their regular season with a tough match against New York Institute of Technology, a squad that was ranked #4 in the nation to start the year. Making a statement that they are a team to be reckoned with, Bentley upset NYIT with an 11-10 victory and their first win of the season.
This was a match where the Falcons found themselves ahead going into the fourth quarter, until NYIT rallied to pull ahead 9-8. Bentley then responded as senior Brad Tunis scored the first of three Bentley fourth quarter goals, followed by scores from junior Dante Mancini and freshman James Reardon, his third of the game, to put the Falcons up for good.
Bentley gave NYIT their first loss of the season, and the victory was a great way for the Falcons to start off the year. They had no time for rest, as their next game would prove to be even more of a challenge when they traveled to New York to face the #1 C.W. Post team.
Bentley put up a strong fight against the top-ranked team in what was a fairly low-scoring game. They found themselves going into the half down 4-2, but scored the only third quarter goal on a feed from Kevin Gould to senior Stephen Moulton, who found the back of the net.
The fourth quarter was back and forth as the Falcons found themselves narrowing the gap to one, as Bentley was losing 5-4 with less than eight minutes left in the game. However, C.W. Post proved to be too much for the Falcons as they scored two more goals to end the game with a 7-4 victory.
Although they were handed their first loss of the season, it should not be a huge disappointment as Bentley contended with one of the elite teams in Division II, proving that the Falcons should be a team to watch out for.
Following the tough loss against C.W. Post, the Falcons came back to Waltham for their first home game of the season. This contest exhibited a very balanced attack from Bentley as they cruised to an 11-6 victory, giving them a record of 2-1 on the season.
The first quarter did not see much action as each team scored one goal each, but the second quarter was a different story as Bentley erupted to score six unanswered goals, all from different players, to put the Falcons up 7-1 at the half.
Bentley carried over their momentum in the second half of the match, starting with a pair of goals from Brendan Grant, giving him a hat trick on the day. Assumption then made a slight run in the fourth quarter, scoring four goals to Bentley’s two, but it was too late for the Greyhounds.
After the exciting win against Assumption, the Falcons stayed at home to host their next game against Franklin Pierce. This was a game that was dominated by Bentley, as the Falcons scored six goals in the first quarter and kept piling on the scores until the game ended with an 18-4 Bentley victory.
The Falcons showed why they are one of the best teams in Division II as they held the ball on their side of the field for the majority of the game. Bentley won 21 of their 26 face-offs as well as the ground ball battle 53-26, giving Franklin Pierce virtually no chance to get back into the game.
The first half was commanded by Bentley, and the second half was much of the same. The Falcons went into half time with a 10-2 lead, and scored eight points with eight different players in the second half to bury the casket for Franklin Pierce.
Wyatt Couture led all scorers with five points, as the senior midfielder finished with three goals and two assists. Brad Tunis, Addi Van Hatcher, Steve Murray, Brendan Grant, and James Reardon all followed with two goals each.
Goalie Andy Collette was also exceptional for the Falcons, recording seven saves and earning his third win of the season. The senior was later named Northeast 10 Goalkeeper of the Week for his play in the game against Assumption as well as in this match, and Collette has helped give Bentley a record of 3-1 to start the year.
Bentley will travel to Manchester to battle with Southern New Hampshire in their next game, facing a team that is currently 3-4 on the season. Coming off of the blowout against Franklin Pierce, the Falcons will look to continue to dominate the possession game, allowing goals to come in bunches.
Scoring goals has not seemed to be a problem for Bentley, as they have scored 10+ goals in three of their first four games. To no surprise, the Falcons’ only loss of the season came in the game against C.W. Post, in which they only scored four times.
Bentley has started off the season strong, and hopes to keep climbing up the rankings and play at the high level that they have been showing to start the season. If Bentley continues to play smart all-around lacrosse with all the weapons they have, they should be able to compete with whoever stands in their way.
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