NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Bentley University senior and All-Northeast-10 forward Beth Maguire (Medfield/Medfield HS) scored the game's first goal and the last one, but it wasn't enough as second-seeded Merrimack College topped the third-seeded Falcons 3-2 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championships Saturday night at Martone-Mejail Field.

Bentley, which was making its 13th appearance in the NCAA Championships and playing its 100th game under coach Jessica Spencer, finished its year at 11-8 while the 17-3 Warriors advance to play UMass-Lowell in the national semifinals on Friday.

The Falcons became the first team to make a dent on the scoreboard when Maguire found the back of the net with 14:25 left in the first half.  After a feed from freshman Sally James (Wequon, Wisc./University School of Milwaukee), she cut through the circle and scored on the left side of the cage.

The lead stood up for about seven-and-a-half minutes, until senior April Daugherty (Wakefield, R.I.) scored her 21st of the year for the Warriors on a back-handed shot with 6:52 remaining until intermission.

The Warriors, the second-highest scoring team in Division II, picked up the offense in the second half after being outshot (9-7) and out-cornered (6-3) during the opening 35 minutes. Merrimack had the first 14 shots after play resumed, including a rebound blast from senior Jen Otis (Penacook, N.H.) that was deflected by Candace Waldie (North Andover) for the go-ahead goal with 25:35 to play.

Jessica Otis (Penacook, N.H.) added some insurance with 12:36 left, using a back-hand for her seventh of the season and a 3-1 Warrior lead.

That goal proved to be important as Maguire scored what proved to be her final collegiate goal off a rebound with about seven-and-a-half minutes left to draw the Falcons within one. It was her 11th of the year and 28th of her career.

Merrimack outshot the Falcons 20-3 in the second half and finished with a 27-12 advantage, and also had three more corners (12-9 overall, 9-3 second half).

Senior Julia Powell (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug HS) closed out her career with seven saves for Bentley, and senior Kerri Bergquist (Mashpee) made six stops for Merrimack.

In addition to Maguire and Powell, six other members of the Class of 2013 suited up for the Falcons for the final time: midfielders Kaitlin Marcinek (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug HS), Nicole Dion (Lunenburg/Lunenburg HS) and Hannah Gerry (Sudbury/Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. HS), sweeper Kelsey Mattson (Bristol, N.H./Newfound Reg. HS), forward Samantha Boardman (Chester, Md./Kent Island HS) and goalie Kaitlyn Riley (Wilmington/Wilmington HS).