The calendar says it’s fall. Fall means many things in Colorado, but at AFAFlightPath.com, that means Air Force hockey season is right around the corner.

One of the first orders of business for a Falcons team looking to bounce back from a disappointing 12-22-2 season is selecting its leadership group. As one might expect at a service academy, there is no shortage of qualified candidates.

The Flight Path has identified six who will — or are likely in the running to — wear a letter on their jersey during the Falcons’ 55th season of NCAA hockey.

The Captains

Sr. Luke Rowe

Well duh. Luke Rowe has served as the Falcons’ captain for the past two seasons and he will again in 2023-24. The defenseman is the team’s tone-setter on — and off — the ice. He plays huge minutes, scores (career-high 24 points, second on the team in 2022-23) and brings a rare physical element.

Rowe was a second-team All-Atlantic Hockey selection last season. He won the program’s Vic Heyliger Award for his dedication, character, leadership and work ethic for the second season in a row. And he was the Falcons’ Defensive Player of the Year for a second consecutive time and is a multi-season member of the AHA all-academic team.

Sr. Luke Robinson

Luke Robinson wore an “A” last season as a junior. Like Rowe, he’s a physical presence on the blue line and an impressive leader off the ice. He’ll score the odd goal, but his primary missions are defending and penalty-killing. He typically blocks multiple shots per game.

He is an outstanding student, with a cumulative grade-point average on the cusp of 4.0. He made the CSC Academic All-District Team on top of being on the AHA all-academic team. Though not formally announced it is expected he will also wear a “C” this season. He also was a captain in juniors.

Both defensemen are highly engaging and excellent spokesmen for the team. Rowe faced many questions after losses the past two seasons with honesty and insight.

Assistant Captain Candidates

This is where it could get murky because there are several worthy candidates. The best guess is two, maybe three, players will wear an “A”. Here are some possibilities:

Sr. Sam Brennan

It wasn’t a coincidence that some of Air Force’s struggles last season coincided with defenseman Sam Brennan going down with an upper-body injury that cost him 14 games. Like Robinson, he’s an elite student, and in both cases that translates well to the ice. Brennan, however, has more front side to his game. He nearly scored 20 points as a sophomore and probably would have hit that threshold again in 2022-23 were it not for the injury.

Brennan’s game has become more well-rounded as his Air Force career has progressed. He probably falls more into the lead-by-example category than the more demonstrative defensemen on this list. He wore an “A” twice during his junior career.

Jr. Clayton Cosentino

Center Clayton Cosentino possesses the most well-rounded game among Falcons forwards. Not only did he lead Division I hockey with 442 faceoff wins, but he scored 22 points (fifth on Air Force). He’s defensively responsible and has played a key role for the Falcons since Game 1 of his freshman year. He plays every night, plays in every situation and plays well.

Cosentino also has been an AHA all-academic team member multiple times and was a captain in junior.

Sr. Jake Marti

There doesn’t seem to be much gray area with Jake Marti. The senior center plays hard, hits hard and has scored some clutch goals for the Falcons. He’s also good on the draw and defensively responsible. His four goals were more than he had during his first two AFA seasons combined.

He also is one of the more engaging Falcons to speak with, mixing directness with humor. He battled lower-body injuries last season, but he shows up whenever he’s in the lineup.

Jr. Austin Schwartz

Austin Schwartz combines effort with outstanding skating to create opportunities for his linemates and himself. His offense showed a dramatic improvement last season when he moved from center to wing depending upon lineup needs. Like Marti, he’s difficult to play against and an excellent defender. He blocked shots and had 12 points.

He won the team’s Larry Cronk Award as its most inspirational player. Like Cosentino, he would be in play to be a captain in 2024-25.

©First Line Editorial 2023