WALTHAM, Mass. – Junior forward Nicole Dion (Lunenburg/Lunenburg HS) scored a pair of first-half goals and the Falcon defense registered its third consecutive shutout as Bentley University topped visiting Adelphi University, 3-0, in Northeast-10 Conference field hockey Saturday afternoon.

The win boosted the Falcons to 2-0 in conference play and evened the team's overall record at 4-4. Adelphi, which had been ranked tenth in Division II this week, dropped its fourth straight, falling to 4-5 overall and 1-1 NE-10.

It took Dion only 2:45 to give Bentley a lead it would not relinquish as she scored off an early penalty corner. Senior All-Conference midfielder Stephanie Sideris (Watertown/Watertown HS), who was credited with the assist on both Dion goals, took a shot from just inside the circle and Dion deflected the ball into the cage.

Dion made it a 2-0 game with 8:27 left in the first half, scoring off a penalty corner with junior Kelsey Mattson (Bristol, N.H./Newfound Regional HS) also picking up an assist on the play. Sideris took the corner hit, Mattson slid the ball over to Dion, and she drilled it into the net.

Junior Hannah Gerry (Sudbury/Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. HS) completed the scoring with 13:24 on the second half clock, her first career goal assisted by junior Kaitlyn Marcinek (Southbury, Conn./ Pomeraug HS).

Junior Julia Powell (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug HS) needed to make only one save en route to her third shutout of 2011 and extend her scoreless skein to 229 minutes. Her teammates outshot Adelphi 18-6 and had 12 penalty corners, twice as many as the Panthers.

Junior Lucia Vigliotti (Westbury, N.Y.) made eight saves for Adelphi.

Bentley's next contest is next Saturday at Franklin Pierce (1 pm).