We wrap up our second annual Air Force hockey player survey by taking a look at hard work, resilience and leadership. I hope you’ve enjoyed this seven-part series that picks the Falcons’ brains to help shed light on which teammates they view as the strongest in various categories.

A total of 18 of the 28 players on the roster, or 64 percent, responded to the 2018-19 season survey. The survey includes 25 questions, broken down into various categories. Players were given multiple choices and promised anonymity for their answers. Questions pertaining to skaters only had skaters listed, same for goalie-related questions.

MORE SURVEY QUESTIONS

Part 1 (Questions 1-4) deals with skating

Part 2 (Questions 5-7) deals with strength and toughness

Part 3 (Questions 8-10) reveals the shooting stars

Part 4 (Questions 11-14) tracks the good hands Falcons

Part 5 (Questions 15-17) focuses on the eyes

Part 6 (Questions 18-22) gets defensive

Question 23: Who is consistently the Falcons’ hardest worker?

• Pierce Pluemer, Joe Tyran – 4 votes (24 percent)
• Billy Christopoulos – 3 votes (18 percent)
• Matt Serratore – 2 votes
• Evan Feno, Evan Giesler, Shawn Knowlton, Matt Pulver – 1 vote

Analysis: If you spot Pluemer before a practice the chances are the junior is working on his stickhandling off to the side. He and Tyran also are two of the Falcons’ strongest players. This also is a key as to why Christopoulos is as good as he is and has made the Mike Richter Award watch list. Tyran, Feno, Knowlton and Pulver (twice) all have overcome devastating, season-ending injuries at one point in their AFA careers.

Question 24: Who is the Falcons’ most resilient player?

• Evan Feno – 9 votes (50 percent)
• Billy Christopoulos, Matt Serratore, Joe Tyran – 2 votes
• Marshall Bowery, Shawn Knowlton, Matt Pulver – 1 vote

Analysis: Every one of these players has overcome health-related setbacks and come back even better. Several have had to deal with the disappointment of being in and out of the lineup at one point. Still, they’re unfazed. Feno leads the team in goals and points one year after missing an entire season because of a devastating knee injury.

Question 25: Which Falcon leads by example?

• Evan Giesler – 6 votes (33 percent)
• Kyle Haak – 3 votes (17 percent)
• Billy Christopoulos, Evan Feno, Matt Koch – 2 votes
• Dan Bailey, Pierce Pluemer, Matt Serratore – 1 votes

Analysis: All seven seniors made this list, which is pretty much how they draw it up at the Academy. All have a team-first attitude, but it oozes out of Giesler, who has done everything that’s been asked of him and does at a high gear 100 percent of the time.

NEXT: Breaking down the survey

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