Air Force (11-10-3, 6-8-2 AHC) vs. Sacred Heart (6-14-4, 4-10-4 AHC)
Friday at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday at 5:05 p.m. at Cadet Arena
TV / radio: atlantichockey.tv (subscription) / AM 1300 and GoAirForceFalcons.com
Series: Air Force leads 26-9-6, including 1-0-1 earlier this season.
Overview
This is a rematch of an earlier series this season in which the Falcons took three of four points – and probably should have had all four – at Bridgeport, Conn. Air Force had a 3-1 lead in the Friday game before the Pioneers came back and tied with goals by. The Falcons followed that up with their best offensive showing to that point in the season with a 5-3 come-from-behind victory on Saturday. Junior Evan Giesler scored twice in the latter game. … The Falcons will be looking to extend their season-high three game winning streak – all vs. AHC foes – and climbing further back into the conference race. … This series might carry a bit of a revenge factor for the Falcons as well because the Pioneers ended their chance at winning the AHC regular-season title with an overtime win at Cadet Arena on the season’s final day.
Injury updates
Thought the Falcons were through with wave after wave of injuries? Think again. Round 2 peaked last weekend when forwards Jordan Himley (knee), Tyler Ledford (upper body) and Matt Pulver (shoulder) sustained injuries at RIT. They joined a list that included defensemen Phil Boje (upper body), Matt Koch (knee) and Alex Mehnert (concussion) as well as center Erich Jaeger (ankle). … There is some good good news, however. Boje, who has missed the past four games, and Mehnert, who was out last weekend, are on track to return for the Sacred Heart series. And everyone else, with the possible exception of Pulver, is likely out only for a short time longer. Hopefully there won’t be a third wave.
Air Force update
Himley and Ledford play the most minutes of any forwards. Boje and Koch play the most minutes of any defensemen. All four play in every situation. Yet the Falcons found ways to win without them, and younger players like freshman forward Marshall Bowery (two goals Saturday), sophomore wingers Trevor Stone (goal each of the past two weekends) and Pierce Pluemer and defensemen Joe Tyran (sophomore) and freshmen Jake Levin, Zack Mirageas and Mehnert have stepped up. … Air Force’s penalty kill is rounding into form, having stopped foes’ past 11 opportunities. The Falcons have raised their kill rate to 82.4 percent (21st in Division I). Not only are they getting the puck out of their zone more quickly and efficiently than at any time this season, but junior goaltender Billy Christopoulos has found his grove of late, allowing just three goals in his past four games. The AHC honored him and he was the NCAA’s third star of the week after allowing just one goal all weekend at RIT. On the season he’s 11-10-3 with a .911 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average. … Upperclassmen forwards Giesler (16 points), Erik Baskin (14, 10 goals), Matt Serratore (12 and 8) and Kyle Haak will be counted on to initiate more offense in the absence of so many top scorers. Haak, who has just two points in 15 games after finishing second on the team with 33 last season, is due to break out in a big way. Getting Boje (10 assists) back on the blue line would free up the younger defenders and senior Jonathan Kopacka to take a more active role in the offense.
Sacred Heart update
The youthful Pioneers knocked off Bentley, 4-2, on Tuesday despite being outshot 42-26 behind a goal and two assists from freshman Matt Tugnutt and a goal and an assist by sophomore Jason Cotton. Brett Magnus made 40 saves. Tugnutt (17 points) and Cotton (15 and 10 goals) are part of a balanced scoring group for Sacred Heart. Sophomore Vito Bavaro leads the team with 21 points and 13 goals, but freshman Marc Johnstone has 20 points and sophomore Austin McIlmurray also has 17 points. … Magnus, a junior, has played in 18 games and has numbers of 6-8-2, .896 and 3.56. Senior Nathan Perry has gone 0-6-2 in 10 appearances with .887 and 3.54 numbers. … The Pioneers have been better on the road this season (4-7-1) than at home (2-7-3). Their penalty kill (81.6 percent) is on par with Air Force’s, and they’ve scored almost three goals per game in conference play. Their problem has been they’ve allowed 3.54 goals each time out.
How it could go down
Obviously the Falcons wished they were closer to full strength, but even being shorthanded last weekend they found a way to win two games in a tough building. Home cooking hasn’t been as kind to Air Force this season (5-6) but it can turn that around in its final three home series, starting with this one.
Series review
Look back at the teams’ first two meetings this season.
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