WALTHAM, Mass. – Fifth-year senior captain Rachel Crowley (Leicester/Notre Dame Acad.) scored twice and assisted on another goal, leading Bentley University to a 4-2 win over Saint Thomas Aquinas College in Northeast-10 Conference field hockey Saturday afternoon on the Bentley Turf Field.

Bentley, with the win in its conference opener, improved to 2-1 overall. Saint Thomas Aquinas has an identical overall record and is 0-1 in the NE10.

The Falcons maintained the lead once Crowley provided the assist on a redirect from senior Tess Anderson (Stow/Nashoba Reg. HS) just 2:23 into the contest.

Before the game was six minutes old, it was a 2-0 following a penalty stroke from senior Ashley Scholten (Brookfield, Conn./Brookfield HS).

Crowley made it a 3-1 game with a deflection to the far post with 3:05 left in the second quarter and capped the game's scoring with 94 seconds left in the third quarter.

It was the second five-point game for a Falcon this season. On Sept. 7, Anderson had two goals and a helper in a 3-0 win over Franklin Pierce.

Sophomore Kayleigh Vogel (Greenland, N.H./Portsmouth HS) made three saves for Bentley and junior Suzanne Clarke (East Schodack, N.Y.) had five for the Spartans.

Shots favored Bentley, 16-11, but Saint Thomas Aquinas had the edge in penalty corners, 16-11.              

Next up for the Falcons is a Wednesday night contest at No. 6 Saint Anselm.