NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – First-half goals by senior co-captain Rebecca Schroder (South Windsor, Conn./South Windsor HS) and junior transfer Niki Neidhart (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch HS) propelled Bentley University to a 2-1 win over Merrimack College in Northeast-10 Conference field hockey Tuesday afternoon at Merrimack stadium.

The win was the second in the last three matches for the Falcons, who improved to 5-7 NE10 and 5-11 overall. Merrimack, in the hunt for a conference playoff berth, dropped to 6-5 conference and 10-6 overall.

It took only 3:03 for Bentley to score the first field hockey goal in the history of Merrimack Stadium, Schroder firing the ball into the cage from about a yard inside the arc.

Neidhart, with her sixth of the season, made it a 2-0 game with 15:35 left in the first half. Following a save by Warrior netminder Katharina Ohmen (Bremen, Germany), she knocked the rebound in for the goal.

Merrimack cut its deficit in half early in the second half, freshman Serena Rousseau (Plaistow, N.H.) getting credit after the ball deflected off a Bentley defender. However, the Falcons shut the door the remainder of the way to avenge a 3-2 loss to the Warriors back in early September.

Freshman goalie Tatiana Naclerio (Easton, Conn./Joel Barlow HS) made five saves in a winning performance for Bentley while Ohmen matched that for Merrimack.

Bentley will finish the season Friday with a 4 pm home game against New Haven.