WALTHAM, Mass. – Second-half goals by sophomore Samantha Bartush (Norwalk, Conn.) and junior Taylor Simpson (York, Maine) were the difference as Merrimack College blanked Bentley University 2-0 in Northeast-10 Conference field hockey action Tuesday evening at Bentley.

It was a scoreless game until Bartush fired a shot straight in from the top of the circle off a penalty corner a little more than two minutes after second-half play commenced.

The Warriors added an insurance goal with 2:39 left as Simpson knocked in a loose ball following a scramble in front of the net.

Junior Kayla Ranieri (Reading) made five saves, all in the second half, to earn the win as Merrimack avenged a 2-1 loss to Bentley last month.

For Bentley, senior goalie Evelyn Schaedel (Burlington, Vt./Burlington HS) had seven saves and junior back Caitlin Derrickson (Wilmington/Central Catholic HS) made a defensive save to keep it scoreless in the first half.

Merrimack finished with advantages of 14-11 in shots and 12-8 in penalty corners, but it was Bentley who kept the pressure on in the second half (9-5 shots, 6-4 in corners.

Bentley, 6-8 overall and 4-4 NE-10, will look to bounce back next Wednesday against Adelphi University (home, 5 pm).