Air Force (11-11-3, 6-9-2 AHC) at Niagara (11-13-2, 10-8-2 AHC)
Friday and Saturday, 5:05 p.m., at Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Radio / TV: AM 1300 in Colorado Springs and GoAirForceFalcons.com / atlantichockey.tv (subscription)
Series: Niagara leads, 35-28-5, and took both games at Cadet Arena in early December
Overview
If the Falcons want to get back in contention for an Atlantic Hockey home playoff series or two, this is a crucial matchup against at team eight points ahead of it in the standings. The Falcons struggled on special teams as well as with giving up early goals in the first meetings. However, the teams have gone in different directions since then. The Falcons are 4-3 and could well be 6-1, while the Purple Eagles have gone 2-8-1. Air Force is coming off a one-game series vs. Sacred Heart after the Saturday game was postponed because of the government shutdown. It’s possible that game could be made up in February.
Air Force update
The Falcons have tightened up defensively and on special teams considerably in the past five games, killing off 13 straight penalties and allowing as many as 2 goals just once (and a total of five). Junior Billy Christopoulos has played his best hockey in that span, collecting his first career shutout and compiling a .958 save percentage. Overall, he’s got a 2.46 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage while starting all 25 games. … The Falcons likely will be without three of their top six scorers, a constant theme this season in which 17 players have missed 117 man games so far. Forwards Jordan Himley (14 points) and Tyler Ledford (13) and defenseman Matt Koch (11) are not expected to play. Ledford (upper body) appears to be closest to returning. AFA did get defenseman Phil Boje (10 points, 53 blocked shots) and center Erich Jaeger back against Sacred Heart. … Forward Evan Giesler leads the Falcons with 16 points, while fellow forward Erik Baskin has a team-high 10 goals among his 14 points. Matt Serratore has eight goals among his 12 points. All three had a goal in the first series vs. Niagara, as did sophomore Trevor Stone (eight points, three goals).
Niagara update
The Purple Eagles celebrated their sweep of the Falcons in December by losing their next four games. After taking three of four points vs. RIT, they lost four more in a row before pounding Holy Cross (6-0) on Saturday. … Forward Derian Plouffe leads Niagara with 28 points and 14 goals, two of which came in the Friday win at Cadet Arena. Sophomore defenseman Noah Delmas has 23 points, and junior forward Tanner Lomsnes, who scored in both games at the Academy has 20 points. … Freshman Brian Wilson carries the mail in net. He is 9-12-2 with a 2.65 gaa and .905 save percentage. He hasn’t been the problem in the recent skid, allowing as many as four goals just once in the 11 games. … The power play has gone 8 for 46 in that span (17 percent) while the penalty kill is near 83 percent in that time.
How it could go down
The first meetings between the teams marked the only series this season that Air Force lost both games by three goals, and those losses demonstrated how important it is to not chase the scoreboard. Niagara scored early, and it had short-handed goals in each game. However, things have trended in different directions for these teams since. A split, or holding serve in the standings, won’t cut it for Air Force this time. If the Falcons can take at least three points at Dwyer Arena, a tough venue for guests, it would be another big step forward.
Follow @AFAFlightPath on Twitter and like us on Facebook for Air Force hockey updates.
Copyright First Line Editorial 2017-18
