Air Force made sure this Saturday night would be different than the previous two.
Four players scored goals and Kyle Haak had two assists as the Falcons defeated Mercyhurst, 4-2, in an Atlantic Hockey game at Erie, Pa., that they led wire to wire.
The victory, on the heels of Friday’s 3-3 tie, moved the Falcons into a tie for third place in the league with RIT and clinched a first-round bye in the AHC playoffs. The next order of business is locking up a top-four spot so they host a quarterfinal series.
Air Force was shut out at Bentley two Saturdays ago and again last Saturday against Canisius at Cadet Arena in a game that was 1-0 until the closing minutes.
“We’ve been playing well enough for something good to happen, and it did,” Falcons coach Frank Serratore said. “There was nothing easy about this game. Mercyhurst played way harder tonight (than Friday).”
Ingredients for success
Air Force got dominant performances from goaltender Billy Christopoulos (34 saves) and its special teams. The penalty kill, already second in Division I, killed off all five Mercyhurst power plays, and the Falcons twice struck on the power play.
“The special teams and goaltending came together for us,” Serratore said. “Bill was terrific for us in net. Two power-play goals and we gutted out a couple of kills (including a five-minute major a and a 5-on-3 kill late in the first).”
Co-captain Matt Koch‘s power-play shot from the point with 3:57 left in the first had made it 2-0, and the second PPG, by Walker Sommer 4:16 into the third period, was the winner. The sophomore buried a rebound of Alex Mehnert‘s shot to give Air Force a short-lived 3-1 lead.
Mercyhurst made it a one-goal game for the second time only 57 seconds later when Tommaso Bucci buried a drop pass from Joseph Duszak.
Evan Feno‘s empty-net goal with six seconds left sealed the outcome. That was set up by a shot block by Evan Giesler.
Taking charge early
After an early blitz by Mercyhurst to start the game, the Falcons flipped the script midway through the first period.
Brady Tomlak scored his second goal in two nights at 7:56, batting a loose puck past Garrett Metcalf after earlier retrieving it from behind the net.
Air Force then endured a string of penalties, including a five-minute elbowing major to Feno, but built its lead when the Lakers took back-to-back minors. Koch, working the points with Zack Mirageas, fired a point shot to make it 2-0 with 3:57 to go. Haak again picked up an assist.
The Falcons subsequently killed off 5-on-3 and a 5-on-4 penalties, due in large part to Christopoulos’ work, before a neutral-zone turnover ended up in the senior’s net, courtesy of Taylor Best on a rebound with 22 seconds left.
“I didn’t like the way we came out, they were flying,” Serratore said. “That goal and the third period goal really disappointed me, we didn’t get the puck out. We dodged a bullet in the first period.”
Notes
The Falcons were without two forwards due to illness, Trevor Stone and Max Harper, and lost a third one, Marshall Bowery, midway through the first period after he blocked a shot. … Seventh defenseman Carter Ekberg moved up to wing after Bowery’s departure.
Air Force’s three stars
- Billy Christopoulos. The senior made 34 saves, including several big ones on penalty kills.
- Evan Feno. A monster in the circle, he won 16 of 23 face-offs, scored a goal and had four shots on goal.
- Kyle Haak. He had a hand in the Falcons’ first two goals and was a force on the penalty kill.
Up next
The Falcons close the regular season with a series against Holy Cross at Cadet Arena. Friday’s game is at 7:05 p.m., while Saturday’s is at 5:05 p.m.
©First Line Editorial 2017-19
