WORCESTER, Mass. — Bentley defenseman Sam Duerr scored with just over 10 minutes remaining in the third period, and goaltender Connor Hasley stopped 17 shots as the visiting third-seeded Falcons overcame a two-goal deficit in the first period to capture the 2025 Atlantic Hockey America championship with a 6-3 win over Holy Cross Saturday night at the Hart Center.
The championship is Bentley’s first-ever Division I crown and the first championship of any kind since the program won the 1982 ECAC Division III title over then-named Southeastern Massachusetts University (now UMass-Dartmouth). The program elevated to Division I with the discontinuation of Division II hockey but had never before won a league postseason championship game.
“I just thought about building something that this university could be proud of [when I was hired],” said Bentley coach Andy Jones. “I wanted to be proud of something that was sustainable, that the players could be proud of. I thought it was going to be significant challenge, and while it’s one thing to have a blueprint on how to do something, we’re just the guys standing behind the bench. I think our guys love each other, and I’m not tossing that word around lightly. It’s genuine love, and I think that’s how you see it in how he play. It’s how we sacrifice for each other.”
Holy Cross had won the ability to host the championship game by clinching Atlantic hockey’s regular season crown, but the packed house at the Hart Center wasn’t fully sent into a fever until the Crusaders scored twice on the power play. The first included the 24th goal of the season from Hobey Baker Award finalist Liam McLinskey before Matthew Kursonis added another strike with just over three minutes remaining.
The Crusaders previously won 19 of its 25 games where they scored the first goal, but the Falcons rebounded by scoring back-to-back goals in the early stages of the second period. The first came when Tucker Hodgson beat Thomas Gale while skating off of his defensive back line, and Nik Armstrong-Kingkade added a tying goal less than 40 seconds after Bentley drew its first strike.
Defenseman Nick Bochen roofed a backhander from Armstrong-Kingkade less than three minutes after the Falcons tied the score at 2-2 to give Bentley its first lead of the game.
“Our power play was excellent and kept us in it,” said Holy Cross coach Bill Riga. “But we lost our identity there, especially in the second period. It cost us three goals on plays that were uncharacteristic turnovers, and we missed a block on the fourth one. They did a great job of playing to their identity, and I thought they deserved to win tonight.”
Holy Cross was able to gain momentum by scoring a third power play goal in the third period, but the newly-minted tie score lasted until Duerr beat goaltender Thomas Gale through his five-hole for his eighth goal of the season.
AJ Hodges added a late dagger before Armstrong-Kinkade sealed the three-goal win with an empty-net goal.
The game had been billed as a top goaltending showdown between Connor Hasley, the national leader in shutouts, and Gale, named goaltender of the year. Both were exceptional, but Hasley saw 10 less shots than a Holy Cross defense that was outshot 24-13 over the last two periods.
Bentley, which continued setting a program record with its 23rd win of the season, now advances to its first NCAA tournament while gaining a measure of revenge over the team that defeated it in the 2006 Atlantic Hockey championship. Holy Cross, meanwhile, missed the tournament for the 19th consecutive season after advancing to its second final in three years.
“There was one thing that I really wanted to do with this program,” said Bentley captain Ethan Leyh, “and that was to get to the NCAA tournament. That was a goal I put out to myself, and I just believed it. With these 30 guys, they put everything into that goal. To be able to see it, it’s special, but the 30 guys in this locker room, the coaching staff, everyone worked there.
“We believed it, and we’re so excited to keep this journey going because we’re not done yet.”
