WATERTOWN, Mass. – Despite a strong game by its top-line, RIT pulled away from Bentley in the 3^rd period for a 6-3 win over the Falcons Saturday night at the JAR in Atlantic Hockey action. Sophomore Kyle Schmidt (Menomonee Falls, Wisc./Sioux City) struck for two goals.

Bentley started out strong with several positive shifts by the top line buzzing around the net, and that pressure resulted in Schmidt's first of the night at the 9:24 mark, assisted by Andrew Gladiuk (White Rock, B.C./Nanaimo) and Max French (West Kelowna, B.C./West Kelowna). Gladiuk set the goal up with a pass from behind the net to Schmidt out in front, who shot high past goalie Christian Short and over his glove for the goal.

Bentley took that 1-0 lead into intermission, but RIT struck twice quickly with two goals in the first 3:18 of the 2^nd period. Left wing Garrett McMullen netted at 2:02, followed by a goal fellow left wing Mark Logan at the 3:18 mark off a loose puck in front of the net.

The Tigers then made it 3-1 at 11:20 of the period as Caleb Cameron finished off a 2-on-1 break down the ice off a nice pass from senior Josh Mitchell.

Bentley though trimmed the deficit on Schmidt's second of the night, after he fired in a shot from a tight angle on the goal line and off the pads of Short. That cut RIT's lead to 3-2 with just 1:40 left in the 2^nd.

At the start of the 3^rd period though, RIT got a big goal from defenseman Chase Norrish, unassisted at 3:21, to restore the team's two-goal advantage of 4-2. But Bentley responded a little less than five minutes later when Schmidt and French combined to cut the deficit to 4-3. In the corner, Schmidt fired a centering pass to French, who one-timed the pass home for his 12^th goal of the season.

That's as close as Bentley would get the rest of the way though, as RIT added goals through Mitchell at 11:57 and Cameron again at 16:18 to provide the final margin.

The defeat drops Bentley's record to 6-9-2 in Atlantic Hockey, while RIT improves to 10-5-1. The Falcons are back in action on Friday when they host AIC for a 7:05 pm start.