FAIRFIELD, Conn. – A two-goal lead in the second period evaporated on an extended penalty kill leading to an enormous momentum change on the way to Bentley's 5-2 win over the Sacred Heart Men's Hockey Team in game one of the AHA semifinal series at Martire Family Arena.

Tomorrow is win or the season is over for a SHU squad that has shown great resiliency all season, registering a school-record 21 wins and establishing multiple milestones.

The Pioneers were outshot by two in the first frame but took a 2-0 lead into the intermission with plenty of steam and confidence. They also had freshman sensation Ajeet Gundarah stopping all 13 shots, including a few quality looks. Penalties - and killing them off - may have sapped the energy and stamina from the home team, while Bentley fully capitalized on the opportunities.

SHU got on the board early when senior Hunter Sansbury fired a wrister toward the cage that was tipped into the air by junior winger Reid Pabich and then swatted a few feet off the ice by captain John Jaworski, who was skating through the right circle and connected with the biscuit a few steps from the right side of the crease at 3:28.

The Pios thought they had increased the margin midway through the first when Felix Trudeau slid a rebound into the back of the net, but a referee waived it off and two different reviews could not change his mind.

However, the home team still managed to make it 2-0 on a nifty wrister from junior Mikey Adamson, who owns the school's record for goals by a defenseman in a season with 12. He hit the dozen mark by taking a pass from John Driscoll, deking a defender and cutting to the high slot before unleashing the shot into the upper right corner at 11:56.

It nearly became a three-goal lead six minutes into the second when Trudeau came in alone on Connor Hasley and tried to backhand a shot that bounced off the goalie's blocker and facemask. Six minutes later, that opportunity would loom even more crucial.

That's when Sansbury was called for a five-minute major for slew footing that resulted in his ejection and a pair of Bentley goals a minute and a half apart to even the score. What stung most about that call on SHU was the fact that the officials did raise an arm after the contact; they made their call after Bentley asked for a review. There were two tallies in the second and three, including an empty-netter, in the third for five straight (3 from AJ Hodges) from the visitors on their way to a 1-0 lead in the series.

The two teams are back in action Saturday at 5 p.m. for game two.