Mike Cosentino knows the hill is only steeper now. But the St. Bonaventure University hockey coach isn’t backing down from the challenge.

“There are no bad teams at nationals. Every game you are competing against great talent, great coaching, and teams that have proven they can win,” Cosentino said. “But I think we have a legitimate chance of bringing home the national championship this year. We have a special group that has proven their resilience in high-pressure situations game after game. This is exactly what our team is built for.”

St. Bonaventure opens pool play vs. Florida Atlantic (15-6-1) at 5:45 p.m. EST Thursday in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 2 National Tournament, running March 12-17 in St. Louis.

The Bonnies (23-4-1), who defeated RPI, 6-2, on Feb. 22 in the ACHA Northeast Regionals to advance to nationals, then play Utah St. (24-11) at 6 p.m. EST Friday and St. Thomas (20-4) at 7:30 p.m. EST Saturday to complete pool play.

Winners of each of the four pools in the 16-team tourney advance to the semifinals Monday, with the winners playing Tuesday, March 17, for the national title. Sunday is an off day.

All tournament games will be streamed here (subscription required). They will also be streamed in The Rathskeller.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).