FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 22, 1998

BENDELL RETURNS HOME TO FACE RIVAL LE MOYNE

WALTHAM, Mass. --- Junior Bill Bendell (North Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse HS) returns to his hometown on Saturday, April 25 (12:00 p.m.) when the fifth-ranked Bentley College Falcons (7-3, 6-0 Northeast-10) face the Le Moyne College Dolphins (5-6, 5-2 NE-10) in a heated Northeast-10 Conference lacrosse match-up.

Bendell, coming off a 16-goal, 27-assist performance last year, has picked his game up a notch. His playmaking abilities has helped the nation's top-ranked offense average 16.7 goals a game. Thus far, Bendell has 14 goals and 25 assists in nine games to place him second on the team in scoring. His 2.78 assists per game is eighth in the NCAA Division II. Three of Bendell's 14 goals have been game-winners.

Lately, Bendell has been on a roll. He has 14 assists and 23 points in his last five games. He had a season-high six assists and seven points twice (against AIC and Saint Anselm). His season high for goals is five, which he did on April 4 against Quinnipiac.

With his next point, Bendell will become just the seventh Bentley lacrosse player, and the second this year, to reach the 100 point milestone for his career. His three-year totals currently stand at 33 goals and 66 assists. He is also just one assist from moving up to a three-way tie for second for assists in a career.

Bentley will be seeking a grain of revenge against Le Moyne, who snapped the Falcons 22-game conference winning streak with a 14-9 win last year. The Dolphins also had the upper hand on Bentley in the championship game of the Northeast-10 Playoffs, taking the crown with a 18-5 victory. The Falcons have rebounded since then, winning their last six conference games, including an exciting 16-15 win over eighth-ranked Pace University.

The Falcons, as a team. have had a strong season, losing just three times. All three of their losses have come against nationally ranked teams, Adelphi (2), New York Tech (3), and Southampton (4). They have allowed ten or more goals just four times, while sporting the nation's seventh best defense averaging 8.70 goals against. Offensively, the Falcons have eclipsed the 20 goal mark twice while scoring no fewer than 11 goals in any game this year.

The Falcons will return home to close out the regular season on Monday April 27 when they meet Merrimack at 7:00 p.m. It'll be their final game before the Northeast-10 Playoffs begin on May 1.