FALL RIVER, Mass. — A six-game homestand for the club ice hockey team ended with a 4-2 victory over Bentley University. The game began less than a day after the team suffered a tie to Bridgewater State University. Typically, a tie is better than a loss, but after blowing a 4-2 lead late in the third, the Hawks had to settle.

Head Coach Michael O’Brien said that the game against Bridgewater State was the same as a loss to him. His team failed to close out a lead and took their first tie of the entire season on Friday night.

“We fell asleep for a minute and a half,” O’Brien said. “We let them hang around and that’s what happens when you let teams hang around. It was like a loss.”

Against Bentley, the Hawks and Falcons failed to score in the first period. Solid goaltending and defense kept the game scoreless until a slapshot from the point by Brian Quinn beat the goaltender low on the right side of the net. However, the Falcons bounced back to tie the game just a few minutes later.

The Hawks’ second goal of the game came from an error by the Bentley goaltender who, in an attempt to clear the zone, put the puck on the stick of Griffin Gagne, who then potted his first of the game. Like they did before, the Falcons answered with a fast goal. It was Jeremy Lawton who scored a late-period goal for the Hawks to take the lead into the intermission.

With only seconds remaining, the Hawks got another chance. An RWU shot hit the Bentley goaltender’s pad and snuck over the line for what was surely a goal. But with a quick movement, the goaltender pulled it out of the net and covered the puck. The referee then came over from the opposite side, blew his whistle and motioned ‘no goal’ despite the Hawks celebration.

Looking to close out the game, the Hawks applied more pressure in the third period and Freshman Andrew Kerble eventually scored the insurance goal.

The Hawks split the first two of their six consecutive games at home and finished with a record of 3-2-1 in that time. The team is now 5-0-1 in NECHA American South Conference games. RWU is comfortable at home, but they remain undefeated on the road at 6-0-0. Their next game is an almost immediate rematch against Bridgewater State on Monday night where they look to get another visiting win.

“I love the road,” O’Brien said. “They get off the bus ready to go.”