ANN ARBOR, Mich. – For the second year in a row the Bentley University hockey team gave the University of Michigan a tough game, but in the end the fifth-ranked Wolverines prevailed 6-3 in front of 5,800 at Yost Ice Arena on Friday night.

The Falcons led 1-0 in the first period and 2-1 in the second, but Michigan answered both times and eventually pulled away for a three-goal win. Brett Gensler (St. Charles, Mo./Youngstown Phantoms) and defenseman Matt Maher (Avon, Conn./Westside Warriors) each had a goal and an assist for Bentley.

Junior goaltender Branden Komm (Williamsville, N.Y./Northfield Mount Hermon) made 50 saves.

Bentley grabbed the early lead for the second time in three games against Michigan on Gensler's second goal of the season at 8:07 of the opening period. Komm made 12 saves in the period.

The second period featured four goals, three scored by the Wolverines, with three from both teams overall coming in a span of the first 3:50 of the period.

Senior forward A.J. Treais tied it at one for Michigan just 31 seconds into the period, but Bentley's Jared Rickord (Skokie, Ill./Springfield Jr. Blues) gave them the lead right back just over two minutes later, scoring on a big rebound off a shot by Maher.

But Treais' second of the period at 3:50 tied the score at two, and freshman Andrew Copp gave the Wolverines a 3-2 lead at 9:06, and that was the score heading into the third period.

Michigan then extended its lead to three goals at 5-2 after scoring twice in the first 5:40 of the third period on goals by Alex Guptill and Zach Hyman.

Bentley cut it to 5-3 on a goal by Maher just past the midway point of the period with Gensler and Derek Bacon (Calgary, Alberta/Okotoks Oilers) assisting, but that's as close as they'd get the rest of the way. Guptill added his second of the night for UM with 2:55 remaining to finish out the scoring.

Bentley falls to 1-1 on the season with the loss, while Michigan improves to 2-1. The Falcons are back on the ice next Friday at home against Alabama-Huntsville.