Last week, The Flight Path ranked the 21 returning players for the Air Force hockey team.

This week, we take that exercise one step further by asking the question – what if we included the eight graduating seniors? What would the rankings then look like?

Bear in mind this is for fun and the opinions are mine only, gleaned from watching nearly every game this past season in person or online. (#-indicates graduated senior)

Players without a description appeared in the earlier post about the returning players.

The rankings for the entire 2017-18 roster are:

1. Billy Christopoulos
2. Tyler Ledford# – Magic with the puck on his stick and an exceptional leader. He missed 13 games and still was within four points of leading the Falcons in scoring. Three game-winning goals included one in OT at Army to win the AHC quarterfinal series, which might be as memorable of a goal as anyone has ever scored at the Academy. It’s no coincidence the Falcons’ play picked up when he returned to the lineup.
3. Matt Serratore
4. Phil Boje# – He blocked more than 100 shots, he hit anyone who ventured inside the AFA blue line while playing rock-solid D, and his absolutely devastating shot was a weapon opponents had to account for. He didn’t put up the amount of points he did as a junior, but the Falcons’ offense was down significantly overall because … stop us if you’ve read this before … of injuries.
   

   Phil Boje has been a shot-blocking machine for the Falcons. Courtesy of Air Force Athletics

5. Dylan Abood# – The leader of all leaders. We’re double checking to see if sacrifice is his middle name. Intelligent, with good wheels and a heart the size of a B-52, Abood was vital to the Falcons on and off the ice. Another player whose return to health coincided with an uptick in the team’s play.
6. Erik Baskin# – His 16 goals led the team, as did his 28 points. He always seemed to be in the right place, and he was a mainstay on both special teams. He also managed to stay healthy, no small feat this season. Mr. Consistent – he went for at least 10 goals and 20 points every year he was at the Academy.
7. Matt Koch
8. Kyle Haak
9. Jordan Himley# – Dazzling skill set – skating, stickhandling, shooting. He had an uneven senior season after playing lights out as a junior, but when it mattered most down the stretch he was at his best. Teams had to account for him when he was on the ice.
10. Evan Giesler
11. Evan Feno*
12. Zack Mirageas
13. Brady Tomlak
14. Jonathan Kopacka# – He was solid across the board for the Falcons. A bit more offensively inclined, he nonetheless was a plus player. He also battled through some injuries and seemed to play his best when the games mattered most.
15. Marshall Bowery
16. Ben Kucera# – One of the Falcons’ best shooters and an intelligent, versatile player. He had the skill and willingness to move up and down the lineup, which was particularly important this past season.
17. Dan Bailey
18. Trevor Stone
19. Matt Pulver*
    

    Photo courtesy of Paat Kelly and Air Force Athletics

20. Kyle Mackey# – Yet another player who battled injuries. When Mackey was in there wasn’t much secret about his game – win puck battles and make forwards who ventured deep into the Falcons’ zone pay. A better passer and shooter than given credit for, he also moved up to play forward when injuries piled up and didn’t look out of place.
21. Jake Levin
22. Alex Mehnert
23. Erich Jaeger
24. Pierce Pluemer
25. Joe Tyran
26. Walker Sommer
27. Zack LaRocque
28. Max Harper

Incomplete due to a season-ending injury – Shawn Knowlton

©First Line Editorial 2017-18