WALTHAM, Mass. – After opening the Bill Kavanaugh era with a 27-21 victory over Mercyhurst University Saturday afternoon, the Bentley University Falcons will be back on their home field Friday night, this time to launch their Northeast-10 Conference schedule.

Stonehill College, coming off its best season in nearly 20 years but looking to bounce back from a 24-7 loss to 24th-ranked Bloomsburg University, will provide the opposition for Bentley's only non-Saturday game of the year. Kickoff is set for 7 pm.

The Bentley defense limited the Lakers to 150 net yards and just nine first downs with Mercyhurst averaging just 3.0 yards per play. The visitors opened the game with an eight-play, 69-yard march for a touchdown, but managed only 81 yards and six first downs on 42 plays the rest of the hot and humid afternoon. Brandon Brown-Dukes, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher, was held to just 58 yards on 15 carries.

The defensive effort included an interception from sophomore free safety Sam McDonald (Norfolk/King Phillip Reg. HS), his sixth in his last seven games dating back to last October, and sacks from sophomore linebacker Bryan Hardy (Barnstable/Barnstable HS) and junior defensive end Quincy Giles (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral HS).

The Falcon offense was quiet during the opening half, converting only one of six third-down situations while totaling just 131 yards.  Bentley went into the break down four, 14-10, with the lone touchdown, a four-yard run for a score by junior tailback George Craan (Hyde Park/Concord-Carlisle HS), set up by McDonald's 30-yard interception return to the Laker 22.

Quarterback Danny Guadagnoli (Framingham/Framingham HS) and the rest of the Bentley offense heated up in the second half, scoring 17 unanswered points in the first 24:06 to open a two-touchdown advantage, 27-14. After intermission, the Falcons more than doubled their first-half output, gaining 272, and converted six of ten third downs while controlling the ball for over 20 minutes.

Guadagnoli, who enters this week's game just 45 yards away from 6,000 career, completed 15 of 22 in the opener, good for 223 yards and no interceptions. The graduate student had a pair of TD passes, the 39th and 40th of his career, and completed passes to seven different players.

Junior Chris Calvanese (Norfolk/Xaverian Bros. HS) had his best day as a collegian, finishing with seven catches for 135 yards. Included was a 27-yarder for a touchdown that put Bentley up ten seconds into the final quarter. Sophomore Sean Myers (Foxboro/Roxbury Latin School) caught his first career TD pass (a four-yarder to put the Falcons in front for good) and also was on the receiving end of a 39-yarder. Senior Jeff Hill (Mansfield/Mansfield HS), fourth among active Division II players with 2,388 receiving yards, had a quiet day with only two catches for 12 yards.

Bentley was able to run the ball against the Lakers, gaining 180 net yards on 47 carries. Craan was the top rusher in the NE-10 during the opening weekend, with 84 yards in 24 carries, and senior Lorenzo Warren (Boston/Catholic Memorial HS) was also productive, with 67 in 17 attempts.

The offensive line was a factor in that success on the ground and also protected Guadagnoli, not allowing a single sack. Sophomore Eric Beckwith (North Attleboro/North Attleboro HS) and junior Ryan Anger (Worcester/St. John's Shrewsbury) were at tackle, senior Joe Morra (Oradell, N.J./River Dell HS) and junior Matt Biscardi (Holbrook, N.Y./St. Anthony's HS) started at guard and senior Jack Donovan (Shrewsbury/Worcester Academy) made his first start at center after previously playing the other o-line positions.

Special teams was one area in which the Falcons had difficulties at times.  Mercyhurst's second TD was set up by an 83-yard kickoff return, and a blocked punt helped the visitors reduce the differential to six with 1:51 to play. On the other hand, Bentley was able to recover the ensuing onside kick and received nine points, including a pair of short field goals, by junior Michael Baron (Medfield/Roxbury Latin School).

While Bentley played a turnover-free game in its opener, the same could not be said for Stonehill, which was picked third in the preseason NE-10 coaches' poll. The Skyhawks lost the ball five times, including three times in the opening quarter, in their lost to Bloomsburg.

Coach Robert Talley's team allowed only 224 net yards in the contest, but gave up 21 unanswered points in the second half after taking a 7-3 lead into halftime.

Stonehill, which graduated three-year starter Logan Meyer (6,927 career passing yards), is expected to start junior Moe Regan at quarterback against Bentley after senior Joe Della Vecchia got the nod in the opener. Regan saw most of the playing time against the Huskies, completing 19 of 33 for 207 yards, one TD and one interception.  Della Vecchia was five for ten for only 39 yards.

Six different Skyhawk receivers caught at least three passes in the game, including Colin Smith, who had three for 63 yards and the team's first TD of the season. Senior Nate Robitaille, one of the conference's best with nearly 1,800 career yards, had four for 52.

Linebacker Brian Harrington, one of the conference's top defensive players in 2013, picked up where he left off with 11 tackles in the opener.

Last year, Stonehill rolled to a 30-3 win over the Falcons down in Easton, a game that saw the Falcons turn the ball over four times and convert only one of nine third downs. Two of the turns led to Skyhawk scores and another came just shy of the goal line, denying the Falcons of a potential game-tying TD in the first quarter.

Bentley leads the all-time series 21-6-1 and had entered last year's game with three straight wins over the Skyhawks. While Stonehill has won three of the last four times the two clubs have met in Easton, the Falcons have prevailed in the last eight played in Waltham.

Week three will see the Falcons on the road for the first time in 2014, a Saturday matinee at Saint Anselm College. Homecoming will be on Sept. 27 with New Haven visiting the Falcons.

BENTLEY BRIEFS: Warren surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards in the opener … With the win over Mercyhurst, Bentley is 22-4 all-time in season-openers as a varsity team … With his first TD this season, Hill will move into a tie for tenth on Bentley's all-time scoring list. He currently has 150 points … Hill has 134 career receptions and needs one to tie Brian Whalen for fifth in program history, and six to move into fourth on the all-time list … Guadagnoli, on Bentley's all-time lists, is fourth in total offense (6,561), fifth in passing yards (5,955) and completions (426), and sixth in TD passes (40) … Bentley committed only three five-yard penalties in the opener … Links to live stats and video ($8.00) will be available at www.bentleyfalcons.com.