Air Force hockey’s Class of 2019 has a good chance to go down as the winningest cohort in program history. It stands just one win away from equaling the Class of 2018, which finished with 86 wins.

This season’s seven seniors, who will be honored prior to Saturday night’s 5:05 p.m. game against Holy Cross, have brought strength and production to all three levels of the lineup.

The six senior skaters have 35 goals, and that’s with one of them playing in just three games. That is nearly half of the Falcons’ 79 goals this season.

All six skaters have played in more than 100 career games, despite two of them basically missing an entire season, and four of them could finish among the school’s all-time leading scorers. By save percentage and goals against average, the goaltender is one of the best in school history. He has eight shutouts in two seasons as a full-time starter.

The class is gunning to lead the Falcons to their fourth consecutive Atlantic Hockey final four and make its third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.

“This is going to be the end of an era in my mind,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore told me this week. “These guys were attached at the hip with the previous class. It will be a passing of the torch. Not that these guys aren’t together with the other guys, because they are.

“But it will be a big-time passing of a leadership torch. Those 15 guys (last season’s senior class had eight members) were the nucleus for the back-to-back final eight teams.”

If the Falcons sweep Holy Cross this weekend, the seniors not only will set the school win mark but also will ensure the Falcons are at home for the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals.

Here is a closer look at the Falcons’ seven seniors:

Goaltender Billy Christopoulos

Where would the Falcons be without Billy the Greek?

In the two seasons he’s been their full-time starter, he has save percentages of .922 and .920 and goals-against averages of 2.06 and 2.12. He has 35 wins, and counting, in that span and eight shutouts, which are fifth in school history. His overall GAA of 2.25 is fourth in the school record book and his .915 save percentage is tied for second.

“He’s a special player,” Serratore said. “I think he should be an all-American. I think he should be the player of the year in our league. Find me another example of this when a team is last in goals scored in its league and they’re in third place (I haven’t been able to). How does that work?

“He’s a goalie in every way, shape and form. … He’s Mr. Consistency. He’s the same every day. I can’t tell you how comforting that is when your goalie is that consistent and dependable.”

As well as he’s performed on the ice, he’s lauded by teammates for his work ethic and attitude off it. When he took over for Shane Starrett after Starrett signed with the Edmonton Oilers, every single Falcon I talked to expressed the fullest of confidence in Christopoulos, and he hasn’t disappointed. He’s on the watch list for the Mike Richter Award.

And he overcame emergency surgery this past fall!

Defenseman Dan Bailey

Bailey has had to navigate some turbulence during his Air Force career. After playing just 11 games as a freshman, he played in 39 as a sophomore and scored a career-high 16 points. Thanks to injuries at forward and a glut of defensemen last season he finished the campaign as a checking line center.

This season, he’s back on D and has thrived. He’s taken on more of a leadership role with a young defense and was rewarded with an alternate captain’s “A” early in the season.

“Bailey, in my opinion, and Matt Pulver are our most improved players,” Serratore said. “It’s not often a player is considered the most improved player as a senior, but Dan has come into his own this year physically. He’s been engaging and strong.”

The eternally affable Bailey discussed what’s made the difference for him with The Flight Path recently.

 

Defenseman Matt Koch

It wasn’t surprising at all that Koch was selected one of the Falcons’ co-captains. He’s always been willing to speak up and tell you like it is. He’s also one of the team’s more gifted offensive players.

He’s been remarkably consistent since he became a lineup regular as sophomore – 18, 18 and 23 points.  This season, he’s had to take on much more of a defensive posture yet he’s still put up his best offensive numbers. He has a career-high 23 points and 20 assists this season, and his 64 points have moved into a tie for 95th on the program’s scoring list.

“Koch is a real special kid,” Serratore said. “He’s a good offensive player who sees the ice really well. He’s got a good consistent demeanor, too.”

Koch has become a Flight Path podcast favorite as well.

The forward four

Serratore summed up the group: “That group of forwards all bring something to the table. When you look at them individually, there isn’t one that’s intimidating, but collectively they were. They all were point producers, and all important pieces.”

All four play on both special teams units, and all four wear letters.

Evan Feno

The Colorado native has overcome a devastating knee injury that wiped out all but the first game of his junior season in impressive fashion. In addition to a career-best 11 goals, his 22 points are three short of his career high.

Feno has been a clutch player as well, netting three game-winners. He’s solid on face-offs and plays in every situation. He has rebuilt his speed through a grueling recovery, and he remains one of the best stickhandlers on the team. He is just a few points away from joining the program’s top 100 scoring list.

In addition to being an assistant captain, he’s also the team’s de facto DJ.

 

 

Evan Giesler

Giesler shows up to work every day and gives you an all-out effort. The power forward is just a few games away from resetting the program mark for games played, and his 79 points have him sitting 77th on the school’s scoring list.

Remarkably consistent, you can pencil him in for 10 goals and 20 points year in, year out. He’s also taken over the mantle of top threat on the power play, as his team-high six PPGs attest. In addition, he’s very disciplined for someone who plays as physical of a style as he does, having taken just seven minors this season.

Another straight shooter, it came as no surprise he was selected one of the team’s co-captains before the season.

Kyle Haak

A finalist for the Senior CLASS Award (vote now!), Haak also was honored as the Air Force Association Cadet of the Year and the U.S. Air Force Cadet of the Year for 2018.

He’s also another remarkably consistent player who can do a lot of things well. His 86 career points lead all active Falcons and have him tied for 65th on the AFA all-time list. He leads the team with a career-high 12 goals, and his 22 points are tied with Feno for second only to Koch. He’s also been excellent on draws, winning more than 54 percent.

The assistant captain has eight of his goals on special teams, including two-shorthanders.

Haak also has one of the more compelling stories for why he wears the number that he does, as he shared in our recent feature on the Falcons and their jersey numbers.

 

Matt Serratore

The co-captain is this season’s what if story? After career highs of 14 goals and 22 points a season ago, the versatile wing was primed for a monster season. A concussion has kept him out since Oct. 20. When you add his absence to the graduation of eight seniors from last season’s team, it’s a wonder the Falcons have played as well as they have.

“When you look at our lack of point production this year, and you add Matt Serratore in there and all of sudden we’re probably in the middle of the pack with goals scored not last (in AHC),” said Frank Serratore, Matt’s uncle. “It’s not only what he would have scored but what he would have helped other guys score. It was a tremendous hit when we lost him.”

With 61 career points and 112 games played, he was primed to move high up on both of those program all-time lists. He’d played between 34-38 games every season and scored between 18-22 points every season until this one.

 

 

The last word

This truly has been a Magnificent Seven for what they’ve accomplished on the ice, in the classroom and in the community.

This is the first Falcons class I’ve had the privilege of covering all four years of their time at the Academy, and it has been a joy to talk to each of them formally and informally so many times. As with previous classes of Falcons, these are the types of young men you hope and pray your son grows up to be.

Their coach said it best when summarizing this group: “You want to know what keeps me up at night? Losing half of our scoring and that guy in net,” Serratore said. “All of them are leaders.”

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