Friday, November 11
USAFA, CO
7:05 pm MT
Air Force Academy
5-5-1, 1-2-0
1
vs
5
Bentley University
3-7-0, 1-2-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Air Force | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Slow start leads to 5-1 loss to Bentley
11/11/2022 10:10:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Bentley scored three goals in the first five minutes in a 5-1 win over Air Force in an Atlantic Hockey game Friday, Nov. 11, at the Academy's Cadet Ice Arena.
Bentley (3-7, 1-2-0 AHA) ended Air Force's three-game winning streak by taking control early. A penalty on Air Force in the first minute of the game led to a quick Bentley goal. On the rush, Arlo Merritt set up Dylan Pitera on the backdoor for a 1-0 lead just 42 seconds into the game. Less than two minutes later, Bentley took a 2-0 lead when Seth Bernard-Docker's shot was saved but Ethan Harrison put back the rebound at 2:14. Nick Bochen gave Bentley a 3-0 lead with a wrister from the left circle at 4:44. Bentley took advantage of an Air Force turnover behind its own net as Nicholas Niemo set up Joe Winkelmann in the slot at 9:22. Following the goal, Falcon starter Guy Blessing was replaced in goal by junior Maiszon Balboa.
Air Force (5-5-1, 1-2-0 AHA) came out in the second period and outshot Bentley, 11-2, in the first eight minutes. The Falcons also hit two pipes in the first 10 minutes of the period. However, turnovers and penalties plagued the Falcons. Late in the period, Air Force was on the power-play, but a major penalty on the Falcons nullified the man advantage. Then with 30 seconds left, Bochen fired a slap shot from the center point for a 5-0 Bentley lead.
Air Force started out the third period by killing the remainder of the major. Midway through the period, the Falcons got on the board as Bennet Norlin won a stick battle on the boards and sent the puck through the slot. Jacob Marti redirected the puck past goalie Nicholas Grabko for this third of the season at 8:37.
Air Force outshot Bentley, 32-27, in the game. AF was 0-for-6 on the power play while Bentley was 2-for-4. Blessing made seven saves in nine minutes of action. Balboa, playing his second game of the season, stopped 15 of the 16 he faced in the final 51 minutes. Grabko made 31 saves for Bentley.
"We certainly didn't see this coming to start the game," associate head coach Joe Doyle said. "We haven't been that sluggish is a long time. It was like we were in quicksand with our legs and our brains tonight. Give Bentley credit, they pressured us right from the beginning. But I know the substance of the people we have in our locker room. I know we will come out with a better effort tomorrow."
Air Force and Bentley conclude the two-game series on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8:07 pm MT at the Cadet Ice Arena.
--30--
Bentley (3-7, 1-2-0 AHA) ended Air Force's three-game winning streak by taking control early. A penalty on Air Force in the first minute of the game led to a quick Bentley goal. On the rush, Arlo Merritt set up Dylan Pitera on the backdoor for a 1-0 lead just 42 seconds into the game. Less than two minutes later, Bentley took a 2-0 lead when Seth Bernard-Docker's shot was saved but Ethan Harrison put back the rebound at 2:14. Nick Bochen gave Bentley a 3-0 lead with a wrister from the left circle at 4:44. Bentley took advantage of an Air Force turnover behind its own net as Nicholas Niemo set up Joe Winkelmann in the slot at 9:22. Following the goal, Falcon starter Guy Blessing was replaced in goal by junior Maiszon Balboa.
Air Force (5-5-1, 1-2-0 AHA) came out in the second period and outshot Bentley, 11-2, in the first eight minutes. The Falcons also hit two pipes in the first 10 minutes of the period. However, turnovers and penalties plagued the Falcons. Late in the period, Air Force was on the power-play, but a major penalty on the Falcons nullified the man advantage. Then with 30 seconds left, Bochen fired a slap shot from the center point for a 5-0 Bentley lead.
Air Force started out the third period by killing the remainder of the major. Midway through the period, the Falcons got on the board as Bennet Norlin won a stick battle on the boards and sent the puck through the slot. Jacob Marti redirected the puck past goalie Nicholas Grabko for this third of the season at 8:37.
Air Force outshot Bentley, 32-27, in the game. AF was 0-for-6 on the power play while Bentley was 2-for-4. Blessing made seven saves in nine minutes of action. Balboa, playing his second game of the season, stopped 15 of the 16 he faced in the final 51 minutes. Grabko made 31 saves for Bentley.
"We certainly didn't see this coming to start the game," associate head coach Joe Doyle said. "We haven't been that sluggish is a long time. It was like we were in quicksand with our legs and our brains tonight. Give Bentley credit, they pressured us right from the beginning. But I know the substance of the people we have in our locker room. I know we will come out with a better effort tomorrow."
Air Force and Bentley conclude the two-game series on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8:07 pm MT at the Cadet Ice Arena.
--30--
Team Stats
BEN
AF
Shots
27
32
PPG
2
0
SHG
0
0
Penalties
7
6
Penalty Mins
14
23
Faceoffs Won
28
30
Game Leaders
+/-
0
Goals
1
Sh
3
A
0
+/-
0
Goals
0
Sh
1
A
1
+/-
-1
Goals
0
Sh
0
A
1
+/-
-1
Goals
0
Sh
5
A
0
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