Bridgeport, Conn. – Senior Vito Bavaro scored two goals to lead No. 20 ranked Sacred Heart to a 4-0 victory over Bentley on Saturday afternoon in Atlantic Hockey action.

In the first game back from the holiday break for both teams, the Pioneers won to extend their winning streak to six games and jump into first place in the AHA standings. The defeat is just the second in seven games for the Falcons, who went into the break on a 4-1-1 run.

Bavaro put SHU in front 1-0 at 12:36 of the first period with a power play goal. A rebound bounced to him in the slot, off a shot by Austin Magera that came in from down low and on the near post

The score stayed that way past the halfway point of the 2^nd period, until the nation's leading goal scorer Jason Cotton put the Pioneers ahead 2-0 at the 13:32 mark. The goal, his 14^th of the season, came after Matt Tugnutt found him in front with a pass from behind the net, and Cotton scored on his second crack at the puck. Just under three minutes later, Bavaro got his second of the afternoon on the power play, off a rebound from a shot by Marc Johnstone, to give SHU a 3-0 lead.

Shots were even 13-13 in the 2^nd period, but SHU's goalie Josh Benson turned away each one from the Falcons. Sacred Heart added its 4^th goal in early in the 3^rd period, off the stick off sophomore Nick Moyagian, and went on to close the game out.

The Falcons will look to gain a series split when the two teams are back at it on Sunday, for another 1:05 start.