An NCAA tournament spot is on the line as Bentley clashes with Sacred Heart in a thrilling Atlantic Hockey America final.
In the Atlantic Hockey America conference, there is no complication in understanding what this game means to both these schools.
It is simply win into the NCAA tournament or go home between #1 Bentley and #2 Sacred Heart, as we have all chalked in this year’s final in the AHA, though ten teams in the conference.
Andy Jones was just named Atlantic Coach of the Year for good reason, leading the Bentley Falcons to their first-ever AHA regular season championship and consecutive championship game appearance, as the Falcons will try to head back to the NCAA tournament.
Bentley beat Sacred Heart in last year’s conference semifinals, eventually piling six goals on Holy Cross in the championship to move onto the NCAA tournament, where they lost in the first round against a deep Boston College team but held their own, defeated 3-1.
This season, the Falcons walk into the final with a record of 22-11-5, though losing three of their final five games to close out the regular season. It’s been all winning from there, and in magnificent fashion in the postseason.
Bentley swept by Mercyhurst in the quarterfinal and then Holy Cross in the semis, but a triple overtime thriller and a single overtime were required in their respective game one. After each game one? A shutout to clinch each series from Lukas Swedin, who stopped all 23 shots in each advancing game. The Swedish native has only allowed seven goals in his last five appearances.
For Sacred Heart, there were some not too sure of their future, including myself. I wrote about how shockingly disappointing their season was at the winter break checkpoint. Favored to win the AHA at the start of the season, they were sixth out of ten as they eyed a regular-season championship, fading away. The Pioneers held seven of the ten first-place votes to open the season.
Sacred Heart rebounded from the first-half struggle. They finished just five points behind Bentley for the top seed. Head Coach C.J. Marottolo transitioned the Pioneers into a consecutive season of 20 wins or more.
It is never just one player sparking that impact, but a good portion of the workload is done by Felix Trudeau. The second-year Pioneer, after two seasons with Maine prior has potted 25 goals, the second most in the NCAA.
No series has come easy for Sacred Heart in the AHA Postseason nonetheless, where the Pioneers snuck by Niagara in two close games, and then were forced to three by the AHA’s third best, Robert Morris.
PREDICTION
Sacred Heart won two of four meetings with Bentley, as the Falcons snatched one alongside a tie. Trudeau and company will be hard to stop, but the extra game of rest and home ice advantage might loom large for Bentley in a matchup this statistically tight. I am really on the fence, but will have to go with Bentley 5, Sacred Heart 4, in an overtime thriller.