Bentley University head hockey coach Ryan Soderquist (Stoneham, Mass.) announced Monday he was stepping down after 26 years at the school as a player and head coach.
After playing at Arlington Catholic and Winchendon, Soderquist played for the Falcons from 1996 through 2000. A prolific player for Bentley as the school transitioned from Division 2 to Division 1, Soderquist tallied 84 goals and 89 assists for 173 points in 99 career games.
He was named the head coach at his alma mater prior to the 2002-03 season as the youngest bench boss in college hockey. Soderquist oversaw the program as it continued to elevate its presence by following its league mates from the MAAC to Atlantic Hockey. A beautiful on-campus rink brought renewed optimism to the program when the Falcons began playing at the new digs in February 2018.
However, the positive momentum didn’t carry over as Bentley suffered through three consecutive losing seasons from 2020-21 through 2022-23. The team failed to make the playoffs this past season, ending its campaign with a record of 11-21-2.
The announcement of Soderquist's departure came on the first day college hockey coaches gathered in Naples, Fla., for the annual convention.
It is unlikely that either assistant coach Ben Murphy (Andover, Mass.) or Steve Needham (Medford, Mass.) will be considered for the head coaching position. Both have a solid track record of success at previous stops and should land on their feet if the new coach doesn’t retain them.
Who could be the next head coach for Bentley?
There are certainly pros and cons for any coach looking to take over in Waltham, Mass. The location is good in that it’s near Boston and the institution has a solid reputation academically with a well-known business school. The relatively new arena and other plusses of the school should allow Bentley to compete on a yearly basis in Atlantic Hockey. The negatives are it isn’t likely to be a high-paying job that can lure top assistant coaches away from bigger-name programs. The administration needs to support the program the way Sacred Heart has in recent years and as league foe RIT has for a long time.
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Assistant coaches such as Quinnipiac’s Joe Dumais (Auburn, Maine), Boston College’s Mike Ayers (Hingham, Mass.), Michigan State’s Jared DeMichiel (Avon, Conn.), Boston University's Joe Pereira (West Haven, Conn.) and Providence’s Ron Rolston could view it as a step down from their current positions. Still, with such few programs in Division 1, all five could jump at the opportunity to lead their own program and would likely bring success to Waltham. Outside of the financial issue, the five assistants could also legitimately believe they will land a bigger and better job in the near future.
Of those five, DeMichiel would probably make the most sense. He’s an alum of an Atlantic Hockey school, RIT, and has a track record of turning around programs. He and the rest of the staff at Michigan State appear primed to make the Spartans back into consistent winners in the Big Ten. Prior to his time at MSU, he helped resurrect the UMass program, culminating in a national championship in 2021.
The most obvious name for Bentley is former Boston University head coach and Terrier alum Albie O’Connell (Watertown, Mass.). He’s currently an amateur scout for the Montreal Canadiens. While things didn’t turn out as well as he and BU fans hoped during his tenure on Comm. Ave, there is no denying O’Connell is a terrific recruiter with an eye for identifying talent. As head coach, he wouldn’t be recruiting as much, but he’d still have the opportunity to spearhead that operation. He did a terrific job as an assistant coach, including at two stops in Atlantic Hockey at Niagara and Holy Cross. O’Connell grew up one town over and he’s the type of big-name hire that would generate buzz for the Falcons.
There are a host of Division 3 college coaches worthy of consideration. In recent years, UMass Lowell’s Norm Bazin successfully made the transition from the NESCAC to Hockey East. It’s not unprecedented and there are candidates who would do a good job if given the opportunity.
One of the most underrated coaches in the game is Norwich bench boss Cam Ellsworth. The Michigan Tech alum and former UMass Lowell assistant has made five NCAA Tournament appearances in his seven years at Norwich. His teams have gone 86-21-12.
Another head coach from Division 3 that could make sense is Trinity’s Matt Greason (North Bridgton, Maine). His only losing season as bench boss came during his first in 2011-12. Overall, he’s 202-74-30 in 11 years as head coach at Trinity, his alma mater. His teams have made five of the last eight national tournaments in Division 3, winning it all in 2015 and falling just short two years later.
Curry College head coach Peter Roundy (Salem, Mass.) brought the Colonels to the Division 3 Final Four in just his second year at the school. The Stonehill alum had success as an assistant coach under Greason and served in a similar capacity at Holy Cross.
Colby head coach Blaise MacDonald (Billerica, Mass.) could be a potential target. He’s had success at two Atlantic Hockey programs, playing at RIT and being a head coach at Niagara, where his teams were very good from 1996 through 2001. The 1999-2000 team he had at Niagara was one of the first to break through in the NCAA Tournament, beating blueblood New Hampshire. He parlayed that into a head coaching job at UMass Lowell. At Colby, his teams have consistently been winners. The Mules made the 2018 NCAA Division 3 Final Four.
A little off the radar would be Babson head coach Jamie Rice (Newton, Mass.). He played his college hockey for Babson from 1986-1990. While his only playing and head coaching experience is at the Division 3 level, he has been an assistant in Division 1 at Dartmouth, Brown and Northeastern. Rice has compiled a 307-154-45 career record at his alma mater. The Beavers have won five league titles and appeared in six NCAA Tournaments during his tenure as coach.
Former Holy Cross head coach Paul Pearl (Winthrop, Mass.) is another possible candidate who isn’t actively in Division 1. After leaving his alma mater to be an assistant coach at both Harvard and Boston University, Pearl just concluded his second year at Cushing Academy. He led the Penguins to the championship game of the NEPSAC Elite 8 Tournament with a loaded roster that he helped galvanize. During his time at Holy Cross, he led the Crusaders to two appearances in the national tournament, including famously upsetting Minnesota in 2006.
An outside-the-box hire that could pay huge dividends would be Brown assistant coach Matt Plante. The Quinnipiac alum had a terrific amount of success as a coach at South Kent and Mount Saint Charles before moving on to Brown this past offseason. He’s a passionate coach with a track record of developing players. Among his alums from South Kent, he unequivocally made Shane Pinto and Zac Jones into better players. Both have now made it to the NHL.
Long Island University head coach Brett Riley grew up in nearby Needham, Mass., and played prep school at Hotchkiss before his college career in Division 3 at Hobart. He’s a familiar name in the college hockey world as his dad, uncle and grandfather have been the coaches at Army since 1950. Riley has done a good job at two stops, LIU and Division 3 Wilkes University. While he’s on the younger side, he has proven to be an astute X’s and O’s coach. His connections throughout the hockey world would certainly help Bentley on the recruiting trail.
Harvard assistant coach James Tortorella has previous head coaching experience at Colby and would be a solid candidate for Bentley. Merrimack assistant Dan Jewell deserves credit for the Warriors’ resurgence and has valuable junior experience, which could help in recruiting. New Hampshire assistant Glenn Stewart has experience in the league from his time at American International and has had other positive stints at Merrimack and UConn. Des Moines Buccaneers head coach Matt Curley is from New York, played at Clarkson and has had success internationally, in college and in the USHL. Quinnipiac assistant coach Mike Corbett, a Denver alum, had success as an assistant at Air Force and has been a head coach at Alabama-Huntsville.
