(Soderquist left Bentley in May 2023)
Ryan Soderquist enters his 21st season behind the bench at his alma mater Bentley University for the 2022-23 season.
A three-time Coach of the Year (Atlantic Hockey, 2009 & 2012, MAAC, 2003), Soderquist is the winningest coach in program history with 266 career victories and counting entering this season. He is one of just 18 active NCAA coaches to have surpassed the 250 win milestone.
Soderquist has built the Falcons from a fledgling Division I program in the early 2000s into a perennial contender in Atlantic Hockey. And he ushered the program into a bold new era as the Falcons moved into the new, state of the art Bentley Arena in February, 2018.
His Falcons have claimed 12 wins against Hockey East teams in recent years. The 2021-22 season saw Bentley claim a 6-2 win over Boston College, plus a 2-1 victory over Ohio State.
The 2019-20 season saw the Falcons win 17 games for the second consecutive season and sweep Canisius in the first round of the Atlantic Hockey playoffs, before the rest of the season was cancelled due to COVID-19.
The 2018-19 season was a strong campaign for Soderquist and the Falcons in their first full season at Bentley Arena. The team won 17 games and finished in 2nd place in Atlantic Hockey. The Falcons had a 12 game unbeaten streak, the 2nd longest by any team in 2018-19, and an 8 game winning streak. Both of those streaks broke program records at Division I. Moreover, Bentley defeated Boston College at Conte Forum in the first ever meeting between the two programs.
Soderquist earned the Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year Award for the 2011-12 season after the Falcons finished just three points out of first-place in Atlantic Hockey. His first AHA Coach of the Year Award came in 2008-09 after leading the team to a 19-17-2 record.
Soderquist's players have received 28 Atlantic Hockey All-Conference honors and 16 All-Rookie nods. Three of his players have been named the AHA Rookie of the Year (Andrew Gladiuk 2013, Alex Grieve 2012, Erik Peterson 2008). Six of his players have taken part in NHL Development camps over the years. Over 30 of his former players have gone on to play professional hockey at various levels. He has also led his teams to wins at Fenway Park on two occassions at Frozen Fenway, over Holy Cross in 2013 and Army West Point in 2017.
In addition to recognition from Atlantic Hockey, his players have earned other major awards. Ethan Roswell, the 2021-22 team captain, was named the Joe Tomasello Unsung Hero Award winner by the New England Hockey Writers Association. In 2012, Brett Gensler became the first, and still the only, player from Atlantic Hockey to win the Walter Brown Award for the best American-born college hockey player in New England.
Not just successful on the ice, Soderquist’s teams excel in the classroom and are active in the community. Bentley is regularly among the most well-represented schools on the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic team.
A 2000 graduate of Bentley and the school’s all-time leader in goals and points, Soderquist was named the head hockey coach at his alma mater on March 7, 2002, becoming the youngest head coach in Division I hockey at the time. He had spent the 2001-02 season as an assistant under McAdam.
In his first season at the helm, he was named the 2002-03 MAAC Hockey League Coach of the Year.
Soderquist finished his playing career at Bentley with 84 goals and 89 assists for 173 points, 24 points higher than Bentley’s former standard-bearer, John Maguire ’84. The 84 goals are also a school record and the 89 assists are tied for 4th on the all-time list. As a sophomore in 1997-98, he set the program’s single-season record for points with 59 and goals with 33. Both records still stand.
The recipient of numerous honors during his career, Soderquist was Bentley’s captain for two seasons. After his record breaking sophomore year, he was named an SID’s first team Division II All-America. As a senior, he led the conference in points per game and assists, was second in total points and was named first team All-MAAC.
Soderquist is a graduate of Arlington Catholic High School. He also spent a postgraduate year at Winchendon Prep. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in marketing in May 2000.
He and his wife, Jessica, have two daughters, Cora and Madeline.
