Opportunity knocked, but Air Force didn’t answer the door Sunday night.

Given the chance to take four of six points from defending Atlantic Hockey champion AIC, the Falcons couldn’t cash in on their final five power plays, including a five-minute buffet, and ended up on the wrong end of a 3-1 decision at Springfield, Mass.

Nate Horn scored for the second game in a row, and Guy Blessing made 31 saves, but Air Force (6-6-2, 2-3-1 AHA) couldn’t overcome the opportunistic Yellowjackets (7-6-3, 5-5-1 AHA).

Here are three observations from the loss:

The power play gives, the power play takes

Horn’s goal just four minutes into the game came on a power play and ignited a back-and-forth period in which Blessing and counterpart Jarrett Fiske (28 saves) were outstanding.

Another power play was stifled by AIC later in the period, and that ended up being one of the turning points. Instead of taking a 2-0 lead, the Falcons saw Blake Bennett emerge from the penalty box, take a stretch pass from Matt Rickard and then set up Aaron Grounds for his first goal of the season with 3:39 to go in the first.

Air Force had three more power plays in the second period – including a five-minute one assessed to Bennett that led to an ejection after he steamrolled Falcons defenseman Luke Robinson – but could not convert.

AIC picked up momentum from the long kill and Grounds scored again shortly after it to give the Yellowjackets the lead for good.

Goal? No goal?

A total of three goals were waved off in the game – two for AIC and one for the Falcons.

AIC appeared to make it 3-1 late in the second period but that was overruled by a review that confirmed the puck went in on a high stick.

The hosts got a third goal that counted when Eric Otto scored his first of the season just 1:05 into the third on a shot from low in the left circle. Grounds, who entered the game with no points picked up his third of the game with the primary assist.

The Falcons appeared to cut the margin to 3-2 on a Mason McCormick tally off a nice feed from Brian Adams from behind the net, but another review revealed Air Force was offsides ahead of the strike.

Finally, another AIC goal was negated by review in the closing minutes. With Blessing pulled for an extra attacker, a clearing pass from the Yellowjackets zone hit the glass behind their bench, bounced to Grounds and center ice and he scored a short-lived third goal.

Another uphill battle?

Walk out of Springfield with four of six points, and the Falcons would have been sitting in fifth in Atlantic Hockey with at least two games in hand – and four on most – on every team above them. Now they’re tied for seventh.

Too early to scoreboard watch? Given AHA is only taking its top eight teams for the playoffs, and expectations being what they are this season, it behooves the Falcons to not leave points on the table early in the season.

The team they play next Friday and Saturday – Mercyhurst – sits one point ahead of them for sixth, and Holy Cross, which has played four more league games, is two points up.

So as frustrating as Sunday’s outcome was, the Falcons have only a five-day wait to flip the script on this key trip.

Notes: It’s important to note the Falcons did a lot right Sunday in spite of the outcome.  Air Force killed off all four AIC penalties and has been successful on 29 of its past 31 PKs, including all seven vs. AIC this weekend. And, the Falcons had another great night in the face-off circle, winning 46 of 66 draws (70 percent). … Clayton Cosentino and Parker Brown picked up assists for the second day in a row.

©First Line Editorial 2022