Game on.
With the news late Monday that President Donald Trump had signed a bill ending the three-day government shutdown after the House and Senate voted to end the stalemate, that means Air Force will prepare for a key Atlantic Hockey Conference series at Niagara as usual.
That was anything but a given on Saturday, when the Falcons’ second game of a two-game series against Sacred Heart was, at best, postponed or, at worst, canceled.
“It was a little different,” senior assistant captain Erik Baskin said. “Obviously you prepare the way you usually would. We woke up Saturday and went through our routine, from the morning film session to our pregame meal to taking a nap. We got the final word at 2 p.m. that we wouldn’t play our 5 p.m. game.
“We would have loved to have played but it was out of our control.”
The approach was the same from the Falcons’ coaching staff.
“What would you do if a game got snowed out?” coach Frank Serratore asked. “Other teams have had to cancel series because of that. I don’t think it’s a big thing.”
The Falcons entered the series against Sacred Heart having won three in a row. Though they dropped a 2-1 game Friday, they played well and wanted to keep their mojo going.
The team was able to practice Monday under the direction of Serratore and Corey Millen, who because of the nature of their contracts weren’t affected by the shutdown, and graduate assistant Paul Weisgarber, who is active military. Assistant coaches Joe Doyle and Andy Berg were affected by the shutdown and couldn’t work Monday, same as a number of members of the support staff in the athletic department. A military doctor was on hand at the practice as well.
“It was a good practice,” Baskin said. “We ended up having two days off in a row, which is rare. Coach Serratore wanted to make sure we got a good skate in, and we did that. It was a tough practice.”
Baskin also said most classes went on as scheduled at the Academy on Monday, noting only ones with civilian instructors were affected. “Other than that, it was business as usual,” he said.
As for Saturday’s game, the hope is that it can be made up around the Falcons’ trip to Bentley for a series Feb. 9-10.
Serratore said that officials from the Academy, Sacred Heart and Atlantic Hockey are exploring possible solutions to get the game in. Bentley is located in Waltham, Mass., roughly 140 miles southwest of Bridgeport, Conn., where Sacred Heart plays its home games.
Sacred Heart’s home ice, the Webster Bank Arena, has open dates from Tuesday, Feb. 6 to Thursday, Feb. 9, and again on Monday, Feb. 12 and Wednesday, Feb. 14. The American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers play home games on Feb. 10, 11 and 13 (a Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday).
“We’re excited to press on,” Baskin said. “We feel really good about how we’re playing and we’re excited to get back to building on that.”
Both Falcons games this weekend at Niagara start at 5:05 p.m. MST and can be heard on AM 1300 in Colorado Springs or via GoAirForceFalcons.com.
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Copyright First Line Editorial 2017-18
