When Air Force coach Frank Serratore told me late in the season that big recruiting classes were going to become the norm at the Academy, there was no reason to doubt him.

According to research by The Flight Path, there are at least 10 players who have made verbal commitments to the Falcons, according to players’ Tweets and College Hockey Inc. The class will not be officially announced until late in the summer because, among other things, the prospective Cadets have to complete basic training.

The Falcons were ravaged by injuries this past season, losing at least 210 man games. Numerous freshmen who were not expected to see much action ended up having significant roles as AFA reached the elite eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row and the third time in program history.

So while freshmen aren’t expected to contribute a lot at the Academy, there is a good chance that several on this list might find themselves in the lineup sooner than later.

Earlier this week, The Flight Path recapped the 2017-18 season, now let’s look ahead to what the Falcons’ incoming class could be comprised of.

Class of 2022 overview

The 10 players we’ve identified include five forwards, four defensemen and one of the better goaltenders in the North American Hockey League.

At least four have ties to Minnesota, an often fertile recruiting ground for the Falcons, another two are from Michigan and one hales from just up I-25 from the Academy in Monument.

Six are playing in the NAHL, two are in the British Columbia Hockey League, another is in the United States Hockey League and one is in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

Goaltending prospect

Alex Schilling (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) committed to the Falcons on New Year’s Day 2018. A late 1997 birth year, he made a name for himself at Wayzata (Minn.) High School. Entering the first weekend in April, he had a 20-13-3-2 record for Austin (NAHL) and his 2.31 goals-against average was ninth in the league. He also had a .916 save percentage. The latter two numbers are improvements from his 3.05 GAA and .894 save percentage of a season ago.

Comment: It’s hard to see where he fits next season, when Billy Christopoulos will have a stranglehold on the starting job and rising sophomore Zach LaRocque will be looking for his first start after a few solid relief appearances. Still, file Schilling’s name away for the future.

Defensemen prospects

Carter Ekberg (6-1, 181) is a mid-1997 birth year who will be 21 when he starts school. He is in his third season of juniors, most of which have been spent in the NAHL. He is enjoying his best season by far with 29 points (24 assists) in 48 games for Janesville. The McMurray, Pa., native had never surpassed 11 points in junior before this campaign. He committed on Feb. 8 of this year.

Comment: A classic late bloomer, and a defenseman with an offensive flair – the type that typically thrives at AFA.

Tyler Jutting (6-4, 203) is a mid-1997 as well and the son of former Minnesota State head coach and Omaha assistant Troy Jutting. Tyler, who committed on March, 2017, is in his second season with West Kelowna of the BCHL and has 11 points in 55 games. Another Minnesota high school product, he played at Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep.

Comment: He offers an intriguing combination of size and skill for the Falcons’ blue line. Given the loss of much of the physical play from the defense due to graduations, he probably figures into the mix sooner than later.

Shane Kelly (6-5, 220) is a late 1997 who is even bigger than Jutting and also plays in the BCHL, for Vernon. The Orchard Lake, Mich., product was a standout for Victory Honda, where he was a captain. He’s in his second season of junior and committed on March 6, 2017, three days after Jutting. He had 9 points through 44 games this season after 12 in 56 last season.

Comment: Even though he and Jutting both have played mainly on the right side, imagine these two in the same lineup in the physical Atlantic Hockey Conference.

Keegan Mantaro (5-8, 163) grew up in Monument and played for the Colorado Thunderbirds, a club Serratore formed to provide a high-level Tier I program for the state’s players. He committed on Nov. 29, 2016. Graduating seniors Tyler Ledford and Dylan Abood and rising senior Evan Feno are recent former T-Birds who have played at the Academy. Mantaro, a 98 birth year, is in his third full USHL season and is an assistant captain for Sioux City. He has six points in 40 games this season and plays a strong two-way game. A rival USHL coach told me he compares favorably to University of Denver D-man Michael Davies, not only in size and skill, but in his hockey IQ and ability to play any style a team requires well.

Comment: Given the Falcons are losing four senior defensemen and Mantaro’s skill set, it’s a good bet he will get some playing time.

Forward prospects

Bill Duma (6-0, 170) was a Minnesota high school teammate of Schilling’s at Wayzata, a squad he captained. Another late 1997, he committed all the way back on Sept. 23, 2015. He was an assistant for Coulee Region (NAHL) before being traded to Amarillo. He had 21 points (9 goals) through 45 games after 25 points in 48 games last season.

Comment: A rare early recruit by the Falcons, the staff obviously saw a lot of upside in Duma and pounced.

Kieran Durgan (6-1, 190) committed on May 10, 2017 and is developing a goal-scorer’s touch. A 1997, the St. John’s, Mich., product is in his third season in the NAHL and had 26 points in 26 games for Shreveport, including 16 goals. He started the season with Tri-City of the USHL. He had 47 points (18 goals) in 60 NAHL games last season.

Comment: Though he’s listed as a center, he has a lot of finish to his game, something the Falcons need more of.

Rob Johnson (6-0, 183) was born in Kamloops, British Columbia, but the 1998 has dual citizenship and committed on March 18, 2016. He’s currently with Flin Flon of the SJHL but has bounced around the past four years of juniors in the BCHL, KIJHL, AJHL and now the SJHL. After 34 points last season, he has 33 (18 goals) in 56 total games.

Comment: He has been traded for several times by playoff teams. What does that tell you about his style and commitment level?

Brendan Miller (6-1, 183) is the most recent commit, on Feb. 26. He has taken a huge step in his third season of junior at Corpus Christi (NAHL). He had 41 points (22 goals) in 54 games after never having more than 22 points in a season before this campaign. He’s also his team’s captain.

Comment: A leader and a late bloomer with a scoring touch – sounds like a perfect fit for the Falcons.

Jensen Zerban (5-10, 161) is another Minnesota product. After a standout career at Elk River High, he went to junior. He committed on Nov. 14, 2016. He split time between Sioux City of the USHL and Philadelphia of the NAHL, where he had 42 points (19 goals) in 53 games. That’s up from 29 points in the NAHL a season ago.

Comment: Another center who is enjoying a breakout season.

Obviously this is still a bit speculative, but this should offer some sense of what is in the pipeline for the Falcons as they restock a roster hit hard by graduations in their pursuit of a third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.

©First Line Editorial 2017-18