Last season was the first for Andy Jones behind the bench at Bentley.
Jones, who was appointed in late June of 2023, didn’t have a lot of time to get to know his team well and inherited a recruiting class put together by the departing Ryan Soderquist.
The Falcons were picked to finish in last place in 2023-24 and made that prediction look silly, finishing tied for sixth and one point out of a first-round bye.
A heartbreaking overtime loss to Robert Morris in the playoffs didn’t diminish a season to build on.
And so far, Bentley is doing just that. Bolstered by a veteran lineup that includes five returning fifth-year players, the Falcons are looking to improve on an impressive season.
So far, so good. Bentley is 4-3-1, including 3-1 in league play. Last weekend, Jones’ team swept Sacred Heart, the consensus preseason pick to win the league, 4-2 and 6-4.
“(The overtime loss last year) wasn’t overly fitting to the season we put together,” said Jones. “I thought we were a little bit flat in that game. After, we talked about how it felt and how to use it to get better.
“Outside of that, I was proud of some of the habits we developed over the course of last season and how we’d show up to play.”
Leading the way so far are grad students AJ Hodges and Ethan Leyh (tied for the team lead in points with seven each) In all, fifth-year players comprise four of the top five scorers for the Falcons.
All but one of the five graduate students had previously transferred from other programs, but stayed at Bentley for as long as possible, a good reflection on Jones’ program.
“To me that says they have had a good experience at Bentley,” he said. “Our hope is that they continue to benefit, and we continue to benefit from those guys.”
Jones specifically mentioned defenseman Nick Bochen, who came to Bentley from Quinnipiac in 2021. Bochen is tied for second on the team with six points with classmate Nik Armstrong-Kingkade.
“Nick’s known for contributing offensively, but what doesn’t get mentioned is that he is an elite defender with his stick and his feet,” said Jones.
The other graduate student on the roster is Artem Buzoverya, a defenseman who transferred to Bentley from Hobart, where he was a Division III All-American and helped the Statemen to two national titles.
“We’re looking for really good people to help our culture,” said Jones about Buzoverya. “He’s a great guy with a great story; he’s overcome a lot. I have a soft spot for guys who have challenging stories.
“Good people with good habits and details, I tend to root for those guys.”
Jones thinks that a tough non-conference schedule is helping his team prepare for some of the top teams in Atlantic Hockey America. So far, the Falcons have one-goal losses to Massachusetts and New Hampshire, as well as a win and a tie against Long Island.
“Our guys want a challenging schedule,” said Jones, whose team will also face Maine, Northeastern, and Princeton in non-conference play. “It’s fun to play in an awesome environment against good competition.
“Against UMass, I thought we played pretty well, said Jones. “But not for 60 minutes. In the second period, they smoked us. We learned about the importance of starting a period strong.
“I also thought we played pretty darn well against UNH. Some of the moments of the game got away from us. We took four penalties in the third and overtime that were costly. Another lesson learned.”
Bentley hosts Rochester Institute of Technology for a pair of games this weekend, the first of six straight home games that also have the Falcons hosting American International and Air Force.
“I’m excited,” he said. “With the next six at home, it’s an opportunity to build some momentum.
“This weekend we’ve got RIT, and based on the past couple of seasons, the league (championship) runs through Rochester. AIC and RIT have set the bar for our league for several years.”
Jones says that his team is up to the challenge.
“In the big picture, I’m pleased with the fact that we show up every night,” he said. “That’s the culture we’re building.”
