Manchester Regional Friday Round UP- BC Survives Bentley, Denver Stomps Providence
By Brendan Locke- March 30th 2025
There was, shall we say… a bit of controversy at SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire yesterday. While the number one team in the country, Boston College was playing against Bentley for a spot in the regional final of the NCAA Tournament. The rink manager of the building was being interviewed on ESPN due to a litany of issues. In a building without a team to call it home, the only time hockey is played at SNHU Arena is New Hampshire State High School hockey championships and the annual Manchester fire vs police department game. So here we are, deciding who gets to continue playing for a *clears throat* NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP on ice that has been skated on twice in the past two months?
Boston College’s head coach Greg Brown wasn’t too upset about it “The ice was actually decent, every year they put new in for the NCAA’s with the logos and everything. So sometimes it takes a couple days for the ice to settle in and get all the air bubbles out.”
So, with that in mind, one would think that to make up for some potential ice issues, the other details of the day’s festivities would have to go off without a hitch, right?
Wrong.
When the players came out for pregame introductions, the players stood on their respective goal lines waiting for the PA announcer to come over the speakers. A feat that took well over two minutes. When Bentley was finally going about being introduced, the video board flashed BC players across the screen and announced the wrong players.
Things would not get better after the game started, with each net becoming dislodged with a simple push off the posts from either goalie. Limiting not only their ability to play the position but also the pace of the game.
On three separate occasions, the nets became dislodged, and the ice crew had to come out and try to fix it to the best of their ability. It broke up the flow of the game, the appeal of the game, and the quality of play, and resulted in a game that felt like a second screening of The Irishmen lasting over three hours.
Worth noting that each of the four coaches mentioned how well of a job the UNH did in hosting the event. Everything from hotel to food and anything else that the players and staff needed was covered and more.
Now, let's talk some puck.
For the first time in program history, the Bentley Falcons qualified for the NCAA tournament. Making the transition to full-time Division 1 in 1998, the Falcons have a brand new shiny rink, a young and upcoming coach, and momentum. Their opponent, Boston College, has made the NCAA tournament 16 times since 1998 and won four national championships in that span.
But as we saw on the opening day of this tournament, anybody can beat anybody; all you need to do is get in. That’s exactly what Bentley had in mind. Graduate student Ethan Leyah leads the way with 42 points for the Falcons. In his press conference the day before the game on facing the number one team in all the land.
“I think it’s exactly where we want to be… it’s playing on the ice within the 60 minutes… we have a ton of confidence going into tomorrow.”
Despite the game's slow beginnings, both on ice pace and time. It was the Eagles who took it to the Falcons in the early stages of the game “We were nervous early” said Bentley head coach Andy Jones, the Falcons logged just two shots on net in the opening 10 minutes.
However, they looked up to the task in their own end “We took away the most important part of the ice” said Jones “We deflected a lot of pucks that went into those areas and our blocks were high.”
Bolstered on the back end by one of the nation's top goalies Connor Halsey, the American Hockey Conference tournament's most outstanding player was brilliant. Stopping 41 of the 43 shots that he faced (sans empty netter) he gave the Falcons a chance every step of the way and Jones was equally as impressed “He had to be mentally sharp tonight… I think he was a big reason why we were in the fight after one.
In the fight is an apt description because Bentley had to deal with whatever this nonsense is.
When the Eagles’ top line is running at a full clip, they are tops in the country, and you can’t stop them; you just have to hope they stop themselves. But more on that later.
Bentley would survive the opening 20 minutes with Hasley making several key stops on Hobey Baker candidate Ryan Leonard.
It would not take long for Bentley to get on the board in the second period, either. Following a BC penalty, the Falcon's powerplay got to work, and it was their leader Ethan Reyah who was able to cash in.
Bentley did not show up just to participate, they were playing exactly how they needed to, stifling BC at almost every turn and blocking over 20 shot attempts from the Eagles. As the game wore on it did not feel dissimilar to BC’s game against Northeastern in the Hockey East tournament. Back back-ended with great goaltending and frustrating a potent Eagles offense.
But throughout the game, it was the Eagles on their own undoing, with that top line of James Hagens, Ryan Leonard, and Gabe Perreault making one too many passes on the doorstep and not converting chances. In the second period, while on a powerplay, Hagens passed up on a wide-open net from the bottom of the circle and threaded a pass to Leonard, who sailed the shot over the net.
An impossible miss from the Hobey Baker favorite who had the entire net to work with, but Hagens had equally as much net to shoot at and probably would have scored if he just fired it.
It was the Eagles mistakes coupled with the Falcons opportunistic style and set up for great drama in the final 20 minutes.
It was Bentley who many portions of the third, unable to convert on a mid-period powerplay. But forcing Richter award finalist Jacob Fowler to make a handful of stops on “grade A” scoring chances, narrowing missing taking the lead on an Ethan Leyah breakaway with eight minutes remaining.
“We had a bunch of chances to make it 2-1, we didn’t, we probably needed to,” said Andy Jones. Bentley just couldn’t load up for one big, uppercut punch to knock the Eagles out.
In the dying moments of the period, BC started to ramp up the pressure, hemming the Falcons in several times as they failed to clear the defensive zone. Bentley, who was so good in their defensive zone all night, got in trouble with just over a minute to go.
James Hagens potted the game-winning goal for BC and continues his point-per-game average with the biggest goal of his career. “We had had a great forecheck there,” said the freshman Hagens. “Aram [Minnetian] ended up taking a point shot, which it got deflected wide. Then I saw that the goalie was out of the net and brought the puck around and ended up going in.”
Ryan Leonard would tack on an empty-netter with 30 seconds to go in the game. Securing a 3-1 BC victory.
A gutting finish for the Falcons, who had great support from a traveling crowd all night and are growing in the right direction “moving forward, we’re not going anywhere” said Ethan Leyah after the game. The graduate student dawned the black and blue for the final time but left nothing to be ashamed of. The Falcons exited to a standing ovation from their students and fans.
Game 2
BC could now sit and wait for one of two familiar foes to set the date for Sunday, either conference rival Providence, back in the tournament for the first time since a run to the Frozen Four in 2019. Or a rematch with the current king of college hockey, Denver.
Now, a disclaimer: I said months ago that I thought Providence was a frozen four team. Despite a stumbling down the stretch of the regular season and bowing out early in the Hockey East tournament, I still believed that the Friars could make a run.
Then I saw the draw in the bracket that they got… and I still believed they could make a run!
I thought that behind one of the great coaches in the country, with an outstanding goalie and a team that makes so few missteps and mistakes, would be prepared and regimented enough to win games.
Then this happens four minutes in.
Phil Svedback has been nothing but steady for the Friars throughout this entire season, and to make a mistake like that in the opening moments of a game against the defending national champ was just stunning.
PC head coach Nate Leaman hasn’t seen anything like that either. “You know that has not happened in three years with Philip, that was a bit of a shocker.”
The Friars were put on the mat in the first minute of a 12-round fight and never found their feet again.
Connor Kelley, a graduate defenseman, played in his final game for the Friars on Friday night “We couldn’t figure out how to get through the neutral zone. We didn’t play north enough, fast enough.”
Despite hanging in and battling for the rest of the 1st period, nothing of note came from the Friars. Denver does as good a job as I have seen all year at taking away space so quickly. They come at you in waves and never misstep. They Providence’d Providence frustrating the Friars at every turn and forcing them to make uncharacteristic mistakes. “I think it’s trying to overwhelm teams.” Said Carter King, a graduate forward with 43 points on the season, good enough for third among forwards. “I think it’s the way we play our puck pressure, how well we skate and just reload… with that pressure comes turnovers and we were able to capitalize on that tonight.”
For all this talk about wearing teams and forcing somebody to make a mistake, when you have Zeev Buium, you can just do this too.
How Buium went 12th overall simply blows my mind. He just never makes any mistakes. Contrasting the team from when I watched them live without both Buium and coach Dave Carle at Maine over New Year’s due to the World Juniors is a night and day difference. The sophomore has complete control of the game at all times, and his offensive presence cannot be overstated.
It wouldn’t take much longer after that for the Pioneers to grow that lead. After a Providence powerplay got to work, it was once again Buium who facilitated the goal.
It was stunning to see Providence be on their heels for so long in this game. It was completely out of character, but it speaks to Denver’s “I think special teams were a huge factor” said coach Carle “In that second period, to be able to get the lead then kill off those three minor penalties. Proud of our guys”
It would take until the third period for Providence to find any sort of footing in the game. With a strong push in the early stages, it felt like PC may be able to climb back into the game. Denver goalie Matt Davis made every save he needed to in the opening minutes. The Pioneers got a fortunate bounce after Will Elger fanned on a shot from on top of the crease with Davis out of position, and 15 seconds later, this is how the game was signed, sealed, and delivered.
Providence would tack on a powerplay goal to make the game interesting in the final stages of the third, pulling the goalie with 5:15 remaining to try to pull back into the game. But Denver quickly thwarted that threat with an empty-netter to seal the deal and punch their ticket for a national championship rematch.
“They’re a really good hockey team [Boston College], and it’s super exciting,” said Zeev Buium after the game “We’ll play anybody, anywhere. We’re super excited for Sunday and for the opportunity to do it again.”
For more coverage of the the best conference in college hockey - Follow ECH blogger Brendan Locke on X @_Brendanlocke
