Each week during the Atlantic Hockey season, AFAFlightPath.com will take a look at Air Force’s upcoming opponent. First up it’s Niagara University.
This weekend’s games
Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. (MDT)
Records
Niagara 1-5 (9 GF, 24 GA); Air Force 2-4 (11 GF, 31 GA)
Overview
The Purple Eagles’ season has started very similarly to the Falcons’. Niagara was swept by an NCHC team (No. 8 North Dakota by a cumulative 10-2), then swept by a Big 10 team (Penn State, again by a cumulative 10-2). Niagara opened AHA play with a split at Sacred Heart. Air Force has splits with Michigan State and Colorado College but was swept by Denver. … The Purple Eagles are big (11 players 6-foot-2 or taller) and fairly fast. They’re also experienced. They have 18 upperclassmen, including four fifth-year seniors (former Falcons forward Walker Sommer is one of them). They added four players through the transfer portal this offseason. Air Force has six skaters 6-2 or taller and 10 upperclassmen, but just two seniors.
One big difference
The Purple Eagles have give two goalies three starts apiece. Junior Chad Veltri picked up the win Friday and has a 3.68 goals-against average and a .878 save percentage, while freshman Jake Sibell is 0-3 with 3.72 and .889 numbers. Senior Alex Schilling, who was pulled during Colorado College’s second-period power-play barrage Saturday, has started every game for the Falcons and has 4.70 and .875 numbers to go with his 2-4 record.
Keys for Air Force
- Stay out of the box. Penalties killed the Falcons in Saturday’s 8-1 loss at Colorado College, and with a penalty kill that is effective just 51.7 percent of the time, it has to be careful to not be overly aggressive.
- Follow your shots. Will Gavin, the AHA player of the week after his Friday hat trick vs. CC, and Ty Pochipinski both scored goals by getting a rebound of their own shot and putting it past CC’s Dominic Basse.
- Protect home plate better. Having to kill so many power plays was part of it, but the Falcons have to keep the passing lanes clogged better. CC had a lot of room to operate on Saturday after AFA did a pretty good job keeping them outside on Friday.
©First Line Editorial 2021
