Air Force (6-6, 6-4 AHC) at RIT (6-4-1, 4-2-1 AHC)
Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. MST, at Rochester, N.Y.
Radio / Web: AM 1300 (Colorado Springs) and on TuneIn (link through GoAirForceFalcons.com) / AtlanticHockey.tv (subscription)
Series: Air Force leads, 30-21-4
Last season: Air Force won three of four meetings, including both at Rochester.
Overview
Which Falcons team will show up – the one that has been shut out in back-to-back games twice already and has scored just one goal two other times (not coincidentally those are their six losses) or the one that has 25 goals in their six wins (more than four per game). The former statistic is concerning, but the latter confirms the team’s capability to win at any time. … Injuries again have become a big concern for Air Force. During the sweep at AIC two weeks ago, the Falcons were without seven players, including senior goaltender Billy Christopoulos (lower body) and key senior forwards Evan Feno (lower body) and Matt Serratore (concussion). Christopoulos and Feno made the trip to New York state and are expected to play Friday night, giving the Falcons a boost. …Feno and freshman Kieran Durgan lead the Falcons with five goals, while senior co-captain Matt Koch has 8 assists. … RIT is 3-0 at home, while Air Force is 3-4 on the road this season. … This is the teams’ only regular-season series.
Three keys
Score first – When this happens, the Falcons win (4-0 in such situations this season). Given they’re facing a goalie in Logan Drackett who leads AHC in save percentage (.927) and is second in GAA (2.17), it is incumbent upon the Falcons to get on the scoresheet early and end an overall scoreless streak of 120:52.
Stay “special” – Air Force has been demonstrably better on special teams. It’s penalty kill is 10th in Division I (nearly 86 percent) and its power play is 22nd (almost 20 percent). The Tigers are 19th on the PK (84 percent) but only 37th on the power play (17 percent), which is surprising given the firepower they boast in their forward group, which is led by seniors and co-captains Erik Brown (6 goals) and Abbott Girduckis (11 points). Brown was a preseason all-AHC pick after a 29-goal, 42-point season a year ago. Sophomore Jake Hamacher (10 points) and senior Gabe Valenzuela (9 points) also do plenty of damage up front.
Blue line initiation – This isn’t code for some odd ritual, it’s encouragement for the group of Koch and fellow senior Dan Bailey, as well as sophomores Jake Levin (five points), Alex Mehnert (five) and Zack Mirageas (three) to keep firing away. Air Force is far, far more effective when its defensemen are initiating offense.
©First Line Editorial 2017-18
