AMHERST, Mass. – Two third period goals just 56 seconds apart by UMass broke a 2-2 tie and lifted the Minutemen to a hard fought 5-3 victory over the Bentley hockey team Friday night at the Mullins Center.

The score was tied 2-2 after 40 minutes, but goals by sophomores Branden Gracel at 2:54 and Michael Pereira at 3:50 were enough to give UMass the win.

Junior Joe Campanelli (Pierrefonds, Quebec/Westminster Prep) scored with just under 10 minutes left to get the Falcons to within 4-3, but an empty net goal by Pereira with 10 seconds left, his third of the night, sealed the win for UMass.

Before that point, the goaltending of sophomore Branden Komm (Williamsville, N.Y/Northfield Mount Hermon), who made 30 saves in the first two periods, and first period goals by senior Aaron Stonacek (Basehor, Kan./Fairbanks Ice Dogs) and freshman Alex Grieve (Calgary, Alberta/Westside Warriors) had helped the Falcons send the game into the final period tied.

But Gracel put the hosts up 3-2 off a beautiful feed from Troy Power. UMass started a rush down the ice and Power had the puck on the right face-off circle. He then fed a diagonal pass to Gracel on Komm's stick side that he one-timed in.

Less than a minute later Pereira put the Minutemen up 4-2 with his second goal of the night.

The third period was preceded by an eventful first period that the Falcons got the better of, and led 2-1 after, and a second period that UMass controlled.

Stonacek found the back of the net just 2:07 into the game to give Bentley the early lead, scoring off a loose puck in front of the net that found its way past goalie Kevin Boyle.

Bentley created most of the scoring chances early on, but a little over 1:30 after Stonacek's goal UMass tied it up from senior Danny Hobbs. Pereira fed a sharp pass from behind the net to Hobbs in the slot, who fired his shot top shelf past Komm.

The Falcons had the first power play, but UMass had the best scoring chance during it after a Bentley turnover in its offensive zone led to a breakaway for UMass.  Defenseman Mike Switzer (Calgary, Alberta/Olds Grizzlys) was called for hooking trying to break up the rush and UMass was given a penalty shot. Senior T.J. Syner took it, but never challenged Komm as the shot went high and wide.

Before the end of the period Grieve gave Bentley a 2-1 lead with his second power goal of the season. A slap shot by sophomore Justin Breton (Fitchburg, Mass./Boston Jr. Bruins) was sticked aside by Boyle, but Grieve knocked in the rebound from in front of the net.

UMass dominated the second period, outshooting Bentley 20-3 and creating most of the scoring chances, but Komm kept the Falcons in it. The Minutemen scored the period's only goal from Pereira. The goal came right after Komm denied Syner on a breakaway, but they kept the puck in the zone and Pereira was in front of the net to put in a loose puck and tie the score at two.

Just minutes later Syner found himself all alone in the slot, but Komm denied his wrist shot with a brilliant glove save to keep the score tied.

The Falcons fall to 0-3 on the season, while UMass ups its record to 1-0-1. Bentley is back in action on Tuesday night at Quinnipiac.