For the first time in eight games, Fairfield found itself on the winning side with a 3-1 victory over Bentley. Junior Jim Lubinski netted the game winner at 6:21 of the second, while linemate Casey Laflamme had a goal and two assists and Rae Metz recorded the empty-netter to seal matters.
Bentleypressured early, outshooting the Stags 11-7 in the first frame. But Fairfield won the period with a chip-in goal by Laflamme at 18:25 that came off a scramble created by Lubinski and Tim Desmarais.
Fairfield rode momentum into the second, controlling puck possession and outshooting the Falcons 11-4. The winner came off a two-on-one rush created by Desmarais’ forced neutral-zone turnover. Laflamme carried the puck down the right side then wristed a shot that trickled through the legs of Bentley’s Simon St. Pierre, which the crashing Lubinski to pop into the open net.
Bentley pressured in the third and got on the board at 3:23 when Mike Zeibaq’s shot from the point was redirected and found the back of the net. The Stags regrouped and locked down defensively for the remainder of the period.
With just under a minute remaining Bentley head coach Jim McAdam called timeout. The Falcons won the ensuing faceoff to get the puck into the Fairfield zone and pull the goalie, but Ryan Tormey forced a turnover and fed Metz, who chipped the puck past a diving defenseman and found the open net.
Michael Wolfe made 22 saves in goal in the win for Fairfield. St. Pierre made 30 stops for the Falcons.
The win improves Fairfield to 5-18-2 overall and 3-14-2 in the MAAC, while the loss drops Bentley to 2-23-2 and 2-17-2. The two teams will meet again Saturday night in the MAAC Game of the Week at the Wonderland of Ice. Game time is set for 8 p.m.
