WALTHAM, Mass. – Riding a three-game winning streak  that's been powered by the defense and great punting, the Bentley University Falcons will look to improve to 4-0 in October when they pay a visit to Stonehill College for a 1:00 Saturday contest.

The Bentley-Stonehill match-up is one of several pivotal contests in the Northeast-10 this weekend as teams continue to battle for a berth in the Nov. 14 conference championship game. Elsewhere, first-place Assumption (who the Falcons will see next week) is at American International and the two teams tied with Bentley for second, LIU Post and New Haven, will square off in Connecticut.

The 3-0 start to October for coach Bill Kavanaugh's team has put Bentley in firm control of its own destiny. After facing Stonehill this week, the Falcons will visit Assumption next Friday night before finishing the regular season schedule Nov. 7 at home against LIU Post.

While Bentley has been unbeaten in October, it's been just the opposite for Stonehill. The Skyhawks have lost three in a row after a 4-0 September, which included an improbable 40-37 win at LIU Post. In that one, coach Robert Talley's team overcame a 17-point deficit in the final 65 seconds, scoring touchdowns with 1:02, :06 and :00 remaining on the fourth quarter clock.

During the current streak, Bentley has held Pace, Saint Anselm and American International to a total of 33 points while allowing only 202 yards total offense and 11.3 first downs per game. The Falcons have also come up with seven takeaways during that stretch.

 Kavanaugh has needed that kind of stingy defense as the offense has not reached the 20-point threshold since a last second 22-21 loss to New Haven in week two. The margins of victory during the streak have been two, five and this past Saturday, four.

In Saturday's 10-6 win over AIC, neither team could get much going offensively with the two squads combining for just 290 total yards. The Falcon D surrendered just 139 with 70 coming on the Yellow Jackets' only scoring drive of the afternoon, an 18-play march that encompassed 8:21.

Bentley's only TD drive of the contest was much shorter, a run from senior George Craan (Hyde Park/Concord-Carlisle HS) after an errant snap was recovered by senior linebacker Craig Hanley (Walpole/Walpole HS) at the AIC 2.

Junior linebacker Bryan Hardy (Barnstable/Barnstable HS), one of seven Falcons nominated for CoSIDA Academic All-America consideration, became the third Bentley player this year to be selected as the Northeast-10 Defensive Player of the Week after he was in on 11 tackles against AIC. He leads the team with 59 tackles for the season.

Also playing key roles defensively against AIC were senior linebacker Matt McDermott (Merrimac/Central Catholic HS) and safety Sam McDonald (Norfolk/King Philip Reg. HS). McDermott had his first two sacks of the season while McDonald helped secure a win for the second straight week with a late-game interception. It was the 13th of his career, putting him in a tie for sixth in program history and fifth among active Division II players.

Junior punter Tyler Ford (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan HS) broke the single game Bentley punting record for the second straight game, averaging 46.8 while giving the Falcons great field position. Following his five punts, AIC's average starting field position was their own 15. He's ninth in Division II with a 43.2 average, a mark well above the school record 39.5 he set last year, and has put 16 of 33 inside the 20.

Bentley's offense, directed by senior QB Matt Montalto (West Yarmouth/Dennis-Yarmouth Reg. HS), has more rushing yards (175.0 per game) than passing (145.6) for the first time since 1995, even though leading rusher Martin Bannerman (Pawtucket, R.I./La Salle Academy) has missed significant time, including the last seven quarters, due to injury. He's rushed for 526 yards, averaging 5.2 a carry, and has three 100-yard games.

Montalto's primary targets through the air are grad student Alex Farkes (Boston/BB&N) and seniors Chris Walsh (Attleboro/Attleboro HS) and Chris Calvanese (Norfolk/Xaverian Bros. HS). Farkes has 23 catches for 257 yards and three TDs, Walsh 21 for 165 and Calvanese 17 for 158.

Stonehill has seen its scoring production fall from 35.5 in September to 12.3 this month with one key factor being 18 sacks allowed over the last three games. Despite the lack of protection, six-foot-seven QB Matt Foltz has had a strong season, completing 60 percent of his passes for 1543 yards, 18 TDs and only six interceptions.

Gordon McLeod has been Stonehill's top receiver (31 for 356, 5 TDs) while Colin Markus has run for 512 with a 5.3 yard per carry average.

The defense has limited opponents to 277 yards a game and a third-down conversion rate of 29 percent. Junior linebacker Ryan Doherty has a team-best 50 tackles, including four sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Bentley will be looking for its first win over Stonehill since 2012 after dropping a 28-21 decision last fall. A potential game-tying drive for the Falcons reached the Skyhawk 15 before expiring on downs with 15 seconds left.

Bentley will also be on the road next week, playing until the Friday night lights at Assumption.

BENTLEY BRIEFS: As varsity opponents, Bentley is 21-7-1 against Stonehill, including 11-4-1 on the road … Seven Falcons were nominated for CoSIDA Academic All-America consideration, including five defensive starters: Hardy, McDonald, senior DE Paul Norris (North Attleboro/North Attleboro HS), senior DE Quincy Giles (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral HS), senior CB Emmitt Smith (Derry, N.H./ Pinkerton Academy). Also nominated were junior guard Michael Dulac (White River Junction, Vt./ Hartford HS) and senior kicker Michael Baron (Medfield/Roxbury Latin School) … Kavanaugh, a former Stonehill assistant, enters today with a 9-9 career record, including 8-4 since midway through last season. That turnaround coincided with Dulac's insertion into the lineup …