Air Force (9-10-3, 4-8-2 AHC) at RIT (8-8-2, 7-4-1 AHC )
Friday and Saturday, 5:05 p.m. MST
TV/Radio: AtlanticHockey.tv (subscription) / AM 1300 and GoAirForceFalcons.com
Series: Air Force leads, 28-21-4; the teams split a series in November at Cadet Arena.
Overview
How do the Falcons win? They need three goals (they’re 9-1-2 when that happens), they need to win the special teams battle (7-0) and they should score first (7-2-1) and lead going into the third period (9-0-1). If that sounds like an ideal road game – solid special teams and not chasing the game – it’s because it is, and it will be important for AFA to have a strong start both nights this weekend. … Both meetings vs. RIT earlier this season were decided by power-play goals in the third period – Erik Baskin got one for the Falcons on Friday night, while Ryan Kruper scored a late one to cement the Tigers’ Saturday win. Special teams played a big role that weekend, as each team had three power-play goals.
Air Force update
There are a few Falcons trends worth noting since the first series vs. RIT this season. Air Force has exceeded its averages of 2.59 goals per game in five of eight games since the RIT series, but it also has been shut out twice in that span. It has killed 85 percent of its penalties in the past eight games, well above its season average of 81.2 percent, but the power play has struggled, going just 4 for 36 in that span (11.1 percent, below its 14.1 percent season average). So the Falcons are getting the job done in five-on-five play and the PK is on the upswing, but the power play isn’t quite where they’d like. … Jordan Himley, who scored in both games against RIT earlier this season, and Evan Giesler lead the Falcons with 14 points apiece. Both have six goals. Tyler Ledford, who has points in four of six games since returning from a knee injury, and Baskin, who has a team-best nine goals, have 13 points. Matt Serratore, who will return from a one-game suspension for a cross-checking major and a game DQ incurred last Friday, and defenseman Matt Koch, whose status is uncertain due to a knee injury, have 11 points. Serratore also has seven goals. Defenseman Phil Boje, whose 53 blocked shots are second in the nation, has 10 points, but he’s also a question mark this weekend because of an upper-body injury. … Short Boje and Koch, the Falcons’ defense got a boost from freshmen Jake Levin (two assists), Alex Mehnert (goal) and Zack Mirageas (goal) on Saturday. … Goaltender Billy Christopoulos is coming off his best weekend of the season, allowing just one goal in each game to Mercyhurst. He has started every game and has a .904 save percentage and a 2.66 goals-against average.
RIT update
Which Tigers team will show up? The one that got one point against Niagara last weekend or the one that shut out No. 11 Providence, 4-0, in December? Drilling down a bit into statistical trends, it’s tough to say. … The Tigers’ offense is 18th in Division I (3.23 goals per game), but they’ve exceeded three goals just twice in their past nine games (which includes the first series vs. AFA). Their goals-against average of 3.22 is nearly identical, and they’ve allowed four or more goals four times in the seven games since playing the Falcons. RIT has an excellent power play (21.5 percent) but it’s struggled some (16.6 percent) since the AFA series, while their PK has improved to nearly 85 percent in that span, well above the Tigers’ season average of 79.1. … Senior Miles Powell leads the Tigers with 20 points (13 assists). Junior Erik Brown has a team-high 12 goals, fourth most in the league. Freshman Logan Drackett has played the most in goal and has a 3.48 goals-against average and a .876 save percentage.
How it could go down
These always seem to be close games – six of the past seven have been decided by a goal – and the two this weekend likely won’t be any different. Special teams will be of paramount importance. The Falcons are reaching a point where they need three or four points every series in order to make a move in the AHC standings, and if they can accomplish that on the road against a strong opponent it would be a huge boost. But they can’t chase the game.
Follow @AFAFlightPath on Twitter and like us on Facebook for Air Force hockey updates
Copyright First Line Editorial 2017-18
