Air Force hockey coach Frank Serratore often has referenced the resiliency of his 2019-20 team in the face of adversity on and off the ice.

So it should come as no surprise that the Falcons six seniors are the group that has set the tone for that. Air Force, which wraps up its regular season this weekend at Rochester, N.Y., with a series against RIT, has a chance to at least play host to an Atlantic Hockey Conference first-round series.

That a team that watched seven key seniors graduate after last season and lost a half dozen more due to various other reasons this season has a chance at getting a playoff bye is remarkable. It’s also a testament to the team’s leadership, a large portion of which is profiled here.

MORE SALUTES

Class of 2019

Class of 2018

Class of 2017

What follows is a closer look at each of the six seniors, with comments from Serratore and my own personal recollections of interacting with each of them during the past four seasons.

Captain Matt Pulver

I like to joke with my fellow Wisconsin native about all of the bionic parts in his body. It’s a reference to season-ending shoulder surgeries that Pulver had to endure during his freshman and sophomore seasons. Pulver, who played a bit of youth hockey just up I-25 in Monument for the Colorado Rampage, takes the good-natured commentary in stride as he does most everything else, with a smile on his face.

After playing just 28 games during his first two seasons, he played in every game as a junior and put up nine points. He’s missed a pair of games this season due to injury, but that hasn’t stopped him from amassing career highs in points (14) and goals (seven).

If there is a tone-setter for this team, it’s Pulver. Strength coach Drew Bodette told me over the summer that Pulver had the team in the weight room shortly after the 2018-19 season ended. His tenacious example rubbed off on the group. Interestingly, on “young team” there still are 11 Falcons older than he is.

“Matt was the youngest player in his class. We brought him in a year earlier than planned,” Serratore said. “His story is an inspirational one. He refused to quit. He had to have special procedures done on both shoulders.

“He is one tough customer, and he’s an inspiration. That’s one reason why he’s so easy to follow. He leads by example.”

Pulver’s post-graduation assignment: Pilot training school.

Assistant captain Trevor Stone

Stone won’t say much unless he’s asked, but his work ethic has said plenty about him. I recalled talking to him before his junior year, when he returned from the summer noticeably slimmer. He had dedicated himself to changing his diet and training differently to increase his speed and shoulder a bigger load on the team.

Goalies from Shane Starrett to Billy Christopoulos to Zach LaRocque and Alex Schilling have told me Stone’s snap shot is lethal, both for its power and accuracy. Two other hallmarks of his are he plays every night (131 games and counting) and he will produce (11 or more points every season). This season he has a career-high 13 points without the benefit of a power-play goal.

“He has a good balanced skill set,” Serratore said. “He is a very useful player who can – and does – play in every situation – 5-on-5, 4-on-4, 3-on-3, power play, penalty kill and up or down a goal late in a game.

“Trevor is a really good all-around player. He’s an elite bottom-six guy, but with his skill set and shot he can play in the top two lines. And, he can play all three forward positions well.”

And to think, the Falcons nearly missed getting the Illinois native.

“We had a commit from Brady Tomlak, and I went to watch him play (at Springfield of the NAHL),” Serratore recalled. “Stone out played Tomlak that game so I went back the next night and liked his game again. As it turned out, Tomlak lived with the Stones that season.”

Stone’s assignment: Pilot training school

Assistant captain Brady Tomlak

Want to talk hockey? Tomlak is your man. Food? Entertainment? The Motor City? Alignment of planets? The same.

The gregarious Michigan native always has something to say, and often it’s quite entertaining. He is one of the best quotes of any college player I’ve covered in the past 25 years. A couple of years ago I sat with him and Stone at the season-ending banquet. It was just by chance, but our conversation flowed, particularly about the strengths and weaknesses of several NHL teams and our favorite places to visit.

Tomlak has been quite productive over his four seasons at the Academy. He’s scored at least 17 points every season, despite being a down lineup player his first two seasons, and his 21 points this season are a career-high. Like Stone, he’s there every night (140 career games). He’s also an excellent defensive player, and he’s the best face-off man I’ve seen in the past five seasons watching Air Force hockey and one of the best in the nation.

“He’s grown up a lot during his time here, and he had to,” Serratore said. “He’s a very charismatic guy who has figured out how to maximize his many abilities. He’s been a terrific player and leader for us.”

Tomlak’s assignment: Space operations

Pierce Pluemer

The first time I saw Pluemer I wondered, “Who is this giant just stickhandling a tennis ball and a golf ball by himself off the side in the hallway.” He didn’t say a word, he just kept working.

The first time I had the chance to talk with him, I was pleasantly surprised by the eloquent and soft-spoken 6-foot-4 forward. The Wisconsin native was engaging on a range of topics from hockey to sky diving. He also is a respected leader on campus, serving as the chair of the Air Force Academy Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

Pluemer is yet another player who is ready to play every night (112 games) and given his size, strength and tenacity, he’s not a lot of fun to play against. Bodette has told me Pluemer is another of the team’s hardest workers in the weight room and it shows. His high-water mark for points was 8 during his sophomore season, when he played a career-high 34 points.

“He is a model citizen,” Serratore said. “He gives everything he’s got every day.

“He and Joe Tyran are two peas in a pod. All they do is work and compete. They’ve been very good support leaders, especially with helping younger players out. They’re not going to say anything unless you ask them, but they walk the walk.”

Pluemer’s assignment: Pilot training school

Joe Tyran

Yet another pleasant and polite Falcon. I had to delay an interview with Tyran a few years back because I had to pick up my son, who had fallen ill, from school early. When we finally did talk, his first question for me was, “How is your son doing?” I think that says a lot about the person.

Tyran is no stranger to adversity, having missed his entire freshman season because of a serious knee injury that required surgery. He bounced back strong and has played 78 games over the past three seasons. His calling cards are strength and speed, and like Pluemer, he isn’t a lot of fun for opponents to deal with.

He’s also shown rare flexibility. When the Falcons were decimated by injuries in their forward group during his sophomore year, he moved from defense to wing and played well. So well that he moved up front full time last season.

“He and Pluemer are the same type of guys, and they’ve been bookends on our fourth line,” Serratore said. “It’s not a coincidence. We can rely on them in any defensive situation.

“Joe loves to be part of a team. He plays with tremendous heart and desire.”

Tyran’s assignment: Pilot training school

Assistant captain Erich Jaeger

Jaeger was the middle man on the highly effective fourth line until he sustained an upper body injury that has kept him out of the lineup since the eighth game of the season in early November.

He told me the trio relishes playing a playoff style all season long. But when the seasons wound down, he, Pluemer and Tyran typically were at their best. The affable Jaeger is excellent in the circle and has scored as many as nine points in a season (during his sophomore year).

He was able to suit up and take the warm-up on senior night, and his presence was not lost on Pulver.

“That’s a tough situation,” the captain said. “It was great to see him out there. It was pretty emotional. He’s sticking by the locker room and coming by whenever he can. We picked him as a leader for a reason. It was good to see him out there. I wish we could see him out there playing.”

Jaeger’s assignment: Missiles officer

The last words

This has been a terrific group to deal with as a writer. Each of the six is pleasant, polite and knowledgeable. There are some very unique personalities within the half dozen, but they seem to mesh well together.

“It’s not one guy, collectively it’s the group you’re going to miss,” Serratore said. “Each brought something different.

“They’ve been a great support group for two Atlantic Hockey champions and they’re taking their swings at a third. And they’ve done a fantastic job helping our younger players.”

Class of 2020, take a bow.

©First Line Editorial 2020