Air Force’s annual awards had a distinctly senior feel to them, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Distributed at the Falcons’ hockey banquet earlier this month, a senior won all six of the awards they were eligible for. The seventh is freshman of the year, which forward Kieran Durgan – who scored a team-high 12 goals – captured.

The senior class won 86 games, tying for most in program history, won the Atlantic Hockey tournament twice and reached the NCAA Tournament’s elite eight twice. The team’s top four scorers and starting goaltender all were seniors.

Durgan won the John Matchefts Freshman of the Year award, as voted on by the team. The 12 goals were tied for seventh most in the nation by a freshman while his three game-winners tied for fifth most.

Matt Serratore won the Vic Heyliger Award, voted by teammates to the player whose dedication, character, leadership and work ethic exemplifies Falcons hockey. Serratore’s career was cut short by injury in the third game of the season but the tri-captain’s leadership off the ice was deemed critical by his peers.

Goaltender Billy Christopoulos won the Chuck Delich Award as the team’s MVP, voted on by his teammates, for the second year in a row. An All-AHC pick, Christopoulos led the league in goals-against average (2.24) and save percentage (.914). His career marks of 2.29 GAA, .913 and 11 shutouts rank third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in program history.

Center Kyle Haak and defenseman Matt Koch shared the Jim Bowman Award as the team’s top scholar athlete. Haak, who won the Senior CLASS Award, has been on the dean’s list and superintendent’s list every semester. A two-time academic All-American and three-time academic all-conference selection, he carries a 3.90 cumulative grade point average as a physics major. Koch also has been on the dean’s list every semester and has been selected to the academic all-conference team three times. As an operations research major, he carries a cumulative GPA of 3.91.

Koch also picked up the Falcons’ defensive player of the year award, as voted by the coaching staff. Carrying more defensive responsibility than before, Koch still led the Falcons with 21 assists and 25 points.

Senior defenseman Dan Bailey and junior forward Matt Pulver were co-recipients of the most improved player award, voted on by the team. Bailey spent his most of his junior season playing forward, moved back to defense this season and played in all 36 games. Pulver played more games this season (all 36) than in his previous two seasons combined because of twice having season-ending shoulder surgeries. He had five goals and four assists.

Senior Evan Feno and junior Joe Tyran were named the co-recipients of the Larry Cronk award as the team’s most inspirational player, voted on by the team. Tyran, who missed his freshman season because of a torn ACL, played in a career-high 26 games and had seven points, including the game-winner against Holy Cross on senior night. Feno recovered from knee surgery last season and played with injuries all season yet managed 11 goals and 22 points. His three game-winners tied Durgan for the team lead.

Next steps

The program also announced the assignments for the seven seniors.

Co-captain Evan Giesler is going to pilot training at Vance AFB in Oklahoma.

Haak and Koch are going to grad school. Haak at Pardee RAND in Santa Monica, Calif., while Koch’s is in process.

Christopoulos and Serratore will be acquisitions officers at Hanscom AFB in Massachusetts. Bailey will work in hospital administration at Offutt AFB in Nebraska.

And Feno will work in hospital administration at Aviano AB in Italy.

©First Line Editorial 2019.