Junior winger Jordan Himley has a team-high 20 goals for a deep Air Force squad. Photo courtesy of Paat Kelly, Air Force Athletics
Congratulations to Air Force on winning the Atlantic Hockey Conference playoffs for the first time since 2012. With their tandem 2-1 wins over Army West Point and Robert Morris on Friday and Saturday, respectively, the No. 17 Falcons ensured their spot in the NCAA Tournament. Reportedly, AFA will be a third seed, but where is to be determined (Providence and Manchester are two destinations I’ve most commonly heard).
Here is what we learned from this weekend:
- Coach Frank Serratore has said all season that sophomore goaltender Shane Starrett is the Falcons’ best player, and he proved it again this weekend, allowing just one goal in two games that were as pressure packed as can be. The run that Starrett (25-5-4, 1.89 GAA and .928 save percentage) has been on since the Falcons’ final series of the first half has been nothing short of incredible. In 22 starts Starrett has five shutouts and has allowed just one goal eight times, and as many as three just three times in that stretch. He’s gotten even better in the playoffs – his past four games: 0 goals, 1, 0 and 1. Great goaltending can carry at team deep into the postseason, something that Serratore – a former goaltender himself – knows all too well.
- Just who exactly do you check? The Falcons split up the Kyle Haak–Jordan Himley tag team, playing Haak (30 points) with Matt Serratore (19) and A.J. Reid (15, 9 goals) while Himley (33 points, 20 goals) was paired with Tyler Ledford (20 points) and Erik Baskin (22). Throw in a line with Evan Giesler (29), Evan Feno (25) and the suddenly resurgent Ben Kucera (two GWG in his past three playoff games) together it makes for some tough calls on which group to focus on. Another hallmark of a team with the potential to go deep in the playoffs – scoring depth.
- Do you know how many power-play goals the Falcons have surrendered since playing Army West Point during the last weekend in January? Three … on 52 penalty kills. That’s a higher than 94 percent effectiveness on the kill. That includes not allowing a PPG on their past 21 kills. Yes, Starrett plays a big role in that, but the overall team defense has stepped up considerably down the stretch, and it’s been a group effort headed by co-captains Johnny Hrabovsky and Dylan Abood.
- Speaking of defense – it can score. Serratore likes to say the Falcons recruit D who have a front side to their game, and this group (which has been without one of its top members in the injured Jonathan Kopacka half the season due to a broken ankle) has that. First-time all-AHC pick Phil Boje has 28 points and sophomores Matt Koch and Dan Bailey have 16 each. All three have goals in the playoffs.
If anything, the Falcons reinforced that they have a team that can make a run to the Frozen Four. Some might scoff but given the increasingly difficult and underrated AHC, I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility.
This team should never be counted out. As you stated so eloquently in your article. They’re still relatively young, actually a year away from really making a mark. But with the balance of scoring, the outstanding goaltending and the lockdown defense style of play, they will be in every game with the chance to win. The other intangible, is the character and integrity of each one of these players and each member of their staff, and coaching staff respectively . These players and what they go through at the Academy academically and with the military grind are toughened and resilient. You have to be a special type of person to be able to achieve an appointment to a military Academy. The Falcons will always persevere and never be counted out in any game or against any opponent.
I could not agree more, and it was an oversight of mine to not mention the character of these players. They’re great to deal with, and extremely resilient. And yes, they’re certainly set up well for the next few seasons.
This team should never be counted out. As you stated so eloquently in your article. They’re still relatively young, actually a year away from really making a mark. But with the balance of scoring, the outstanding goaltending and the lockdown defense style of play, they will be in every game with the chance to win. The other intangible, is the character and integrity of each one of these players and each member of their staff, and coaching staff respectively . These players and what they go through at the Academy academically and with the military grind are toughened and resilient. You have to be a special type of person to be able to achieve an appointment to a military Academy. The Falcons will always persevere and never be counted out in any game or against any opponent.
I could not agree more, and it was an oversight of mine to not mention the character of these players. They’re great to deal with, and extremely resilient. And yes, they’re certainly set up well for the next few seasons.