BROOKHAVEN, N.Y. – Newcomers David Phelps (Bedford, N.H./Bedford), Cutler Dimond (Marblehead, Mass./Tabor Academy) and John Wheeler (Scarborough, Maine/Scarborough) combined for seven goals, but the Bentley men's lacrosse team suffered a hard-fought defeat to Dowling 15-10 in the season-opener Saturday afternoon on Long Island.

A 6-1 first quarter by Dowling proved to be the difference, as Bentley played them even 9-9 over the final three quarters. Seniors Kevin McElhone and Matt Crough led the Golden Lions' attack with four goals each.

Phelps scored the first goal of the game just 1:33 in, with senior Nick Astarita (Bedford, N.H./Bishop Guertin) getting one of his three assists on the man-up goal. But Dowling proceeded to go on a 7-0 run that stretched into the second quarter.

After Crough netted a man-up goal to give Dowling a 7-1 advantage, Bentley had a strong remainder of the second quarter by outscoring them 3-1. Dimond and Phelps had man-up goals and Astarita had an even-strength goal, getting the Falcons to within 8-4 at halftime.

Phelps and Wheeler pocketed the first two goals of the second half for Bentley to get them to within 8-6 with 4:10 gone. However, that two-goal deficit was as close as Bentley could get the rest of the afternoon. The Golden Lions proceeded to notch four of the game's next five goals to take a 12-7 advantage with just over three minutes played in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore Matt Brigham (Portsmouth, R.I./Portsmouth Abbey), junior Bobby Hinds (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) and Dimond had goals in the fourth frame for the Falcons.

Dowling improves to 3-0 on the season after already playing its third game, while the Falcons drop to 0-1. They'll return to the field for game number two on Wednesday afternoon against New York Tech.