The Seventh Period reviews Air Force’s unusual sweep at the hands of RIT on Oct. 24-25
First Period
Imagine taking 152 shots, putting 80 of them on goal and the result is … one goal. Total. That’s it. Yet that was Air Force’s fate against RIT, and more specifically junior goaltender Logan Drackett. Yes, the Falcons hit multiple pipes, but Drackett played a series for the ages and leads the nation with an other-worldly .966 save percentage and 1.17 goals-against average.
Second Period
On the other side of the coin, how often will one team hold another Division I opponent to 11 shots on goal in two consecutive games and not even gain a point in the series? And remember, RIT came in 3-1, so it’s not as if the Falcons were facing a high school JV team. One of the positives for Air Force is their young defense – which played two freshmen each night – and their team defense limited the Tigers to a ridiculously low amount of chances. That is a big positive going forward.
Third Period
Another positive for the Falcons is the all-out effort the troops are displaying in light of the worst start of the Frank Serratore era. I had the impression watching Thursday night’s game in person that Air Force could have won by four or five goals. The Falcons were that dominant. The payoff didn’t come immediately, but if we see more of this level of effort the results are sure to follow.
Fourth Period
Having had a few in-person viewings now it’s becoming clearer to me who some of the Falcons’ most-improved players are. Sophomore Kieran Durgan had 17 total shots and along with linemates Trevor Stone and freshman Luke Manning, was highly involved throughout both games. Durgan, who started the season at center and moved to right wing for the RIT series, also is on one of the top penalty kills and the No. 1 power play. Junior forward Shawn Knowlton had 16 total shots and also was a nice complement to seniors Brady Tomlak and Matt Pulver. Knowlton’s speed makes a difference, and he seemed far more willing to shoot. And junior defenseman Jake Levin continues to incrementally improve. He was all over the ice on Thursday, generated 10 shots and might have been the Falcons’ best player.
Matt Pulver scored Air Force’s lone goal Thursday. Photo courtesy of Paat Kelly / Pengo Sports and Air Force Athletics
Fifth Period
Speaking of Pulver, the captain has three goals already, including the Falcons’ lone one on Drackett. He’s just two behind his career high already. To cap it off, he might have the sweetest goal celebration of any Falcon. Of course, we have a small sample size thus far.
Sixth Period
One way the Falcons can shore up their offense is capitalizing on their power plays, something they’ve done just once in 25 tries so far (4 percent). Let’s say they quadrupled that. Sixteen percent isn’t an unreasonable ask, and that would mean Air Force has three more goals this season. And that most likely would mean a win or two.
Seventh Period
The Falcons’ journey doesn’t get any easier next weekend with a trip to Connecticut to play Sacred Heart. There are three reasons why it won’t be easy. First, the Pioneers always seem to play the Falcons tough – Air Force is 2-4-2 in the past eight meetings. Second, Sacred Heart just swept Niagara in a series that pitted what I thought might be the second- and third-best teams in Atlantic Hockey. Third, the dynamics of a series at Sacred Heart are always odd. The Pioneers play in the same building as the American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and they play second fiddle to the pro team. Factor in a two-hour time difference, and the Falcons will play at 4 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time on Friday, and then because of a night AHL game on Saturday, the AHC teams have to face off again on short rest at 11 a.m. As they say in baseball, it’s the dreaded day game after a night game.
©First Line Editorial 2019
