WALTHAM, Mass.- In a Friday night Atlantic Hockey clash the Falcons controlled, A.J. Hodges' hat-trick and Josh Latta's two goals led to a 6-2 Bentley victory over the Niagara Purple Eagles. The Falcons went 2-5 on the power play. Goaltender Connor Hasley made 27 saves on 29 shots in the winning effort, improving Bentley to 5-4-0 on the season and 3-2-0 in the AHA. 

Niagara scored early when center Glebs Prohorenkovs stuffed one past the pad of Hasley to give Niagara a 1-0 lead at the 2:44 mark. 

It did not take Bentley long to respond when Hodges wristed a puck past Ryan Oulette at 5:33 on the power play to tie the game for his first of the night. Seth Bernard-Docker and Chase Davis registered assists. 

With 9:31 to play in the opening period, defenseman Sam Duerr gave Bentley its first lead of the night, 2-1, on a rebound in front of the net off his own initial shot that was saved. Kellan Hjartarson and Hodges got helpers on the play. 

With 3:08 to go in the first period, Hodges added another one on a wrist shot from the right face-off dot for his third point of the night. Bentley kept a 3-1 lead after the first 20 minutes. 

Niagara was given a 5-on-3 power play opportunity in the second period and they capitalized. Luke Mylymok beat Hasley five-hole to get the Purple Eagles back within one. 

From that point on, it was all Falcons. Hodges buried the puck into the net from the back-door with 3:17 left in the second period for the hat-trick and his fifth goal of the season. The pass leading to the goal came from Kellan Hjartarson, and Nick Bochen registered an assist as well. 

6:25 into the third period, Latta added insurance and gave Bentley a 5-2 lead with a one-timer from the slot. Bochen and Davis both provided assists. 

In the final 1:47, Latta added his second of the night on the power-play and put the nail in the coffin, giving Bentley a four-goal lead. With Hodges recording another assist on the goal, he totaled five points on the night. 

The hat trick by Hodges was the first at Bentley Arena since Jonathan Desbiens on Feb. 7, 2020 against Army West Point. 

The Falcons have now won four straight contests at home. 

Bentley and Niagara are back in action tomorrow afternoon at 4:05 P.M. from Waltham.