Falcons fight to the finish in NCAA tournament loss to Michigan 

Bentley’s NCAA tourney bid and hockey season came to an end Friday night. 

The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Falcons 5-1 in the regional semifinal in Albany, N.Y. Michigan, a No. 1 seed, entered the game as a heavy favorite against Bentley.

The Falcons were making their second appearance in the national tournament after winning a second consecutive Atlantic Hockey championship on March 21. 

Michigan took control early, scoring twice in the first period. Bentley fought back and outshot the Wolverines 13-8 in the second period but were on the wrong end of two late goals to give Michigan a 4-0 lead after 40 minutes.

The third period saw Michigan score a fifth goal at the 7:50 mark to take a 5-0 lead. Bentley battled right to the end with Falcons defenseman David Helledy scoring his sixth goal of the season with 27 seconds left, assisted by Ryan Upson and Jack Dalton. The final shots-on-goal tally was 29-25 in favor of Michigan. 

It was a memorable 2025–2026 season for Bentley with an impressive 23-12-5 final tally, which ties the program’s single-season record for wins set last year.

With the 5-1 win, the Wolverines advanced to the regional final on Sunday against Minnesota Duluth.