Facing the sixth-ranked team in the country without three regulars, including its starting goaltender, Air Force dropped a 5-1 decision to Boston University at the Desert Classic in Tempe, Ariz.

The loss was the Falcons’ sixth in a row, a streak that began at AIC in November. They will play host Arizona State on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the consolation game.

Here are a couple of takeaways from the game:

First period was the difference

The Falcons (6-11-2) were coming off a 32-day break, and they showed some early rust, struggling in the first period. The Terriers struck three times, including in the first minute (by Jamie Armstrong) and last minute (By Wilmer Skoog, his second of the period).

Air Force played BU (13-5) even after that. The teams traded second-period goals – one by the Falcons’ Clayton Cosentino was offset by Brian Carrabes’ power-play strike three minutes later for the Terriers, who finished the game with an empty-net goal.

BU finished with a 37-30 shots-on-goal edge.

Injuries continue to affect Air Force

Junior Maiszon Balboa got his first NCAA start in goal for Air Force and fared well, particularly after the first period. The athletic Balboa made 32 saves and kept the Falcons in the game, especially when BU made a push in the second half of the second period. .

Balboa got the start because sophomore Guy Blessing, who was banged up before the Christmas break, still was unable to go. Balboa and senior Austin Park were the only goalies the Falcons had to suit up.

Air Force also was down three forwards – junior Brian Adams, sophomore Lucas Coon and senior Ty Pochipinski. Adams (five points) is a member of the Falcons’ energy line and a key penalty killer.

There was some good news. Defenseman Sam Brennan, who had four points in the Falcons’ first four games,  returned to the lineup after missing 14 games.

READ MORE: USAFA story

Schedule note: The Falcons’ home Atlantic Hockey series against Canisius, which was postponed last weekend when the visitors could not fly out of Buffalo in time to play, has been rescheduled to Feb. 13-14 (a Monday and Tuesday). With no open weekends during the second half, Air Force will be forced to play four games in five days as a result. The real kicker is the Falcons will play at Sacred Heart in Bridgeport, Conn., on the Friday and Saturday before, giving them one day (likely a travel on at that) to recover and prepare. Canisius will head into Colorado Springs from Erie, Pa., after a two-game series against Mercyhurst.

©First Line Editorial 2023