We know what we see, but what do they see?
After all, Air Force’s hockey players know each other better than anyone. With that, we present AFAFlightPath.com’s third annual player survey. Players were polled anonymously in early December, and 22 of 29 Falcons responded (76 percent).
The survey included 25 questions that covered a range of skills, from skating to shooting to hockey sense to leadership.
We begin the 2019-20 survey by looking at the foundational skill to play the game: skating.
Question: 1 Which player has the best top-end skating speed?
- Joe Tyran – 10 votes (45 percent)
- Marshall Bowery – 4 (18 percent)
- Matt Pulver – 3 (13.6 percent)
- Max Harper – 2 (9 percent)
- Keenan Lund, Bennett Norlin, Brady Tomlak – 1
Analysis: One hallmark of the Falcons’s game is they win with pressure, and speed certainly helps with that. “Joey T” is exhibit A. We are just beginning to see what Bowery, Pulver and Harper – now that all three are healthy – can do, and their speed and smarts are giving them plenty of chances to score.
Question 2: Which player is the most agile skater?
- Zach Mirageas – 5 (23 percent)
- Matt Pulver – 4 (18 percent)
- Marshall Bowery, Shawn Knowlton, Luke Manning, Keegan Mantaro – 2
- Kieran Durgan, Keenan Lund, Trevor Stone, Brady Tomlak, Joe Tyran – 1
Analysis: Mirageas’ ability to wheel out of the zone is crucial for the Falcons, and he and Pulver excel at finding openings to generate offense. 11 players received votes.
Question 3: Which goaltender has the best lateral movement?
- Alex Schilling – 12 (55 percent)
- Zach LaRocque – 10 (45 percent)
Analysis: At under 6 feet, Schilling needs to have this in his tool box. This is viewed as a strength for both.
Question 4: Which player has the most explosive skating stride?
- Matt Pulver – 6 (27 percent)
- Max Harper, Zach Mirageas – 3 (13 percent)
- Kieran Durgan, Joe Tyran – 2
- Marshall Bowery, Blake Bride, Erich Jaeger, Kennan Lund, Luke Manning, Brady Tomlak – 1
Analysis: All offseason I heard stories about Pulver’s dedication in the weight room, and Harper and Mirageas clearly are two of the Falcons’ stronger players on their skates as well. Another category with 11 vote-getters, and what should encourage Falcons fans is the number of newcomers getting votes.
MORE: Falcons midseason report
Next: Strength, checking and toughness
©First Line Editorial 2019
