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Bentley Hockey Team Shoots for Top

Almost lost amid the organized chaos of a mid-winter hockey practice at Watertown’s John A. Ryan Skating Arena – a shoebox-sized facility fondly nicknamed “The JAR” by Bentley skaters – stands the Bentley Falcons’ coach, Ryan Soderquist ’00, not looking an ounce heavier than his playing weight of 160 pounds.

Like a coiled spring, the coach moves from one station to the next, making sure that players skate hard, with a sense of urgency. No time or motion is wasted. These kids care.

But no one cares more about the Bentley hockey program than the 36-year-old Soderquist, who owns the distinction of being the best player and coach in Bentley history. Now in his 11th season as coach, Soderquist has racked up the most wins in school history (136 and counting), and his Falcons beat more established programs, like Northeastern University, on a regular basis.

"I'm so proud of how our hockey team represents Bentley's values, both on and off the ice," says J. Andrew Shepardson, Dean of Students. "I know that these values are imparted to the players by Coach Soderquist, whom I've known since he was a student. Ryan and his staff do a tremendous job of preparing the players to not only win now, but to win later in life as well."

While Bentley lacks the top-notch, on-campus rink of most Division 1 programs, Soderquist can offer players something larger schools may lack – a chance to play and a great business education.

Right wing Brett Gensler is a case in point. A St. Louis native, Gensler felt he was ready for Division 1 college hockey after a year spent playing at the junior level in Youngstown, Ohio. The major college programs preferred that Gensler get another year of junior seasoning – and that’s when Soderquist came calling.

“If the major programs are telling a recruit that he has to play another year in juniors, we can offer that player the opportunity to play right away,” says Soderquist. “We’re also able to give late bloomers a chance as well.”

Gensler rose to the task. Last year he won the 60th Walter Brown Award as the best American-born college hockey player in New England, the first time a Bentley and Atlantic Hockey League player earned the prestigious honor. This year, Gensler is in the running to win the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the best collegiate player in the land. “For a player from Bentley, which has a very brief hockey tradition, to even be in the Hobey mix is an accomplishment in itself,” notes Kyle Mack, Bentley’s assistant sports information director.

A finesse player who’s among the nation’s scoring leaders (13 goals, 19 assists, 32 points) this season, Gensler is aided and abetted by sophomore center Alex Grieve (9-16-25), a physical skater who runs interference in front of the goal and digs for loose pucks in the corners.

“I may not always be able to see him on the ice, but I do know where he’s going to be,” notes Gensler. “Playing with him really does bring out the best in me. It’s very rare to have the on-ice chemistry that Alex and I have.”

It’s not just a two-man show, either. This year, Gensler and Grieve are receiving ample support. Freshman forward Andrew Gladiuk, who’s netted 12 goals and added 16 assists (28 points), has been a pleasant surprise, while the Falcons have become accustomed to the quietly steady play of junior goaltender Branden Komm, who last season set Bentley’s single-season mark for goals against average (2.41).

High achievers, on and off the ice
While the Bentley community has rallied behind Gensler’s unlikely Hobey Baker candidacy, the university is equally proud of the hockey team’s exemplary off-ice performance. Last season, 13 Bentley hockey players made Atlantic Hockey’s all-academic team, and the squad has a collective grade-point-average that typically hovers above 3.0. Despite practice, gym workouts, team meetings, games and frequent weekend travel, the Bentley skaters find time to hit the books, even if it means studying on long bus trips or in airport waiting areas.

“Coach Soderquist and the players take great pride in their academic record,” says Assistant Director of Athletics Cindy Scott. “Our hockey players tend to stay eligible, play for four years, and graduate,” she adds. “Given the demands on their time, and how they travel the most of all Bentley’s student-athletes, this is a remarkable accomplishment.”

Rarefied air

As a small school, Bentley’s teams compete in the Division 2 Northeast 10 Conference. The lone exception is the hockey team, which skates in the competitive Atlantic Hockey League, and it’s in this rarefied space where the hockey program’s greatest opportunities and challenges lie.

Not only must the hockey players keep up in the classroom and compete on the ice, but they’re also called upon to play an active role in campus life, whether attending other teams’ games or taking part in campus fundraisers.

Given their frequent travel schedule – and status as Division 1 college athletes – the Falcons also act as informal university ambassadors. The Falcons frequently skate with students from Watertown’s Perkins School for the Blind, and play fundraisers with the East Coast Jumbos, a team for mentally challenged boys and young men.

Last year, the team also “drafted” Michael Eden, a terminally ill teen, to be part of the hockey team, a life-altering experience for those involved. Thanks to Team Impact, the Falcons took Mike under their wings, teaching him how to skate and playing video games at his Framingham home. He attended most home games, and even made the road trip to Rochester, NY, for the playoff series against the Rochester Institute of Technology. (Learn more about Team Impact.)

"Mike was a great kid, a fierce competitor and we'll never forget him,” says senior forward Dan Koudys, a team leader. "Mike always had a smile on his face, whether it was at the hospital, at the rink, or at his house with his dog and family. Our experience with Mike was an eye-opener for a lot of guys on the team."

Eye opening, too, has been the manner in which Soderquist has balanced developing good young men, good students, and a competitive team. “The key has been to recruit good kids,” says Soderquist. “We’re fortunate that we have players who are not only committed to their on-ice work and off-ice training, but are equally committed in the classroom and in the community.”