Michigan
Bentley
No 1 Overall Seed Michigan to Face Bentley at NCAA Regional
3/24/2026 4:02:00 PM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 1-ranked and overall No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament, the University of Michigan ice hockey team (29-7-1) faces Bentley University (23-11-5) on Friday (March 27) in the Albany Regional at MVP Arena. Puck drop is set for 5:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
Notes
• Michigan and Bentley face off for the fourth time, but the first time in the postseason. The Falcons visited Yost Ice Arena for a pair of games in 2011, with Michigan winning 5-1 (Oct. 7) and 4-1 (Oct. 8). The following year, Bentley returned to Ann Arbor for an Oct. 12 game, with Michigan winning 6-3.
• This season's NCAA Tournament bid for the Wolverines is the 42nd in program history -- tying Minnesota for most appearances. Michigan has a 59-33 all-time record in NCAA Tournament games.
• Bentley earned the Atlantic Hockey automatic bid after defeating Sacred Heart 3-2 in the championship game, its second straight conference title. The Falcons swept Mercyhurst and Holy Cross in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, each a best-of-three series. Bentley was also the regular-season champion in Atlantic Hockey. Bentley elevated its program to Division I in 1999-2000, and this is its second NCAA Tournament appearance. The Falcons lost 3-1 to Boston College last season in the Manchester Regional.
• Michigan won the Big Ten Championship last weekend, defeating Ohio State 7-3. The Wolverines scored five straight goals to take their fourth Big Ten title (2016, 2022, 2023, 2026). Michigan reached the championship as the No. 2 seed, beating Notre Dame 6-1 in the quarterfinal and Penn State 5-2 in the semifinal.
• Hobey Baker finalist and Big Ten Player of the Year T.J. Hughes added to his accolades by earning the Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten Tournament. Joining him on the all-tournament team were senior defenseman Luca Fantilli, junior forward Jayden Perron and freshman goaltender Jack Ivankovic.
• Through three postseason games, Hughes and Michael Hage lead the team in scoring with six points apiece. Perron and Garrett Schifsky each have five points, while eight other skaters have multiple points. Ivankovic owns a .926 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average in his three games.
• Michigan boasts the nation's top-scoring offense, as the squad averages 4.57 goals per game, with four players averaging a point per game or better. Leading the team in scoring is Hughes, with 20 goals and 33 assists for 53 points, averaging 1.43 points per game. Hage has 51 points and leads the nation in assists with 38. Will Horcoff and Perron follow with 37 points apiece.
• Bentley has one of the nation's best scoring defenses, limiting teams to 2.28 goals per game to rank eighth in the country. Michigan is right behind at 2.38 goals per game.
• The Falcons average 3.10 goals per game, ranking 24th in the nation in scoring offense. The offense is led by Jake Black, who has 19 goals and 22 assists for 41 points in 39 games. Kellan Hjhartarson has 34 points, with a team-best 24 helpers, and scored twice in the team's 3-1 championship win over Sacred Heart. Michael Mesic, the Most Outstanding Player of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament, has 32 points in 27 games. Lukas Swedin is 14-6-4 in goal, with a .921 save percentage and a 2.02 GAA.
• The Wolverines have the best power-play units in the nation, converting on 31.1 percent of their chances. Bentley's penalty kill has killed off 83.2 percent of its infractions, ranked 14th nationally.
