An opening night victory for Air Force hockey was punctuated by a stellar performance in goal by Guy Blessing.
The junior made 35 saves in a 4-1 victory over Lindenwood. His main accomplices were classmate Austin Schwartz, who scored the final two goals, and fellow forwards Holt Oliphant and Will Gavin, who also added a goal each. Co-captain Luke Rowe had three assists and assistant captain Parker Brown had a pair.
“It’s a good feeling when all of your preparation in the offseason comes to fruition,” Rowe said.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s victory.
3 Takeaways from Air Force’s 4-1 Win
Guy Blessing Returns with a Vengeance
Blessing, who could not play after the holiday break last season due to injury, reminded the Falcons and their fans what they missed on Saturday.
Time and again he made clutch saves on prime Lions chances.
“Blessing was the best player on the ice,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said. “He made some really good saves. The one he let in was a stinker — he scored on himself in essence, but he was our best player. We need our goalie on most nights to be our best player.”
Blessing started his highlight reel with a stop on a shorthanded breakaway in the first period, and he kept it up on an array of counterattacks and rushes, the types of plays Lindenwood makes hay on.
4⃣ saves in a row from Blessing! pic.twitter.com/RWo9fZbtA0
— Air Force Hockey (@AF_HKY) October 8, 2023
“Their line rush, we’ve got to be better,” Serratore said. “Our third man took some chances when we didn’t need to. Against this team, if you step up and make a bad read, all of a sudden a 4-on-3 turns into a 3-on-2 and a 2-on-1.”
Blessing’s play boosted the Falcons’ confidence after a first period in which they won a lot of races to pucks but had nothing other than a disallowed Luke Robinson goal to show for it. The co-captain’s apparent tally was ruled no goal due to goaltender interference.
“It goes back to last year,” Gavin said. “We had so many of those. Until the referee comes out and says it’s a goal, we’ve learned not to get too excited.”
‘Second six’ Play First Rate
Robinson’s goal didn’t count but how it came about provided insight into how the Falcons can get their offense in gear. Schwartz initiated the play by beating a Lindenwood defender wide and sent a pass to hard-charging center Mason McCormick in the slot. The rebound came to Robinson, who had activated from the point.
Oliphant gave the Falcons the first of their leads when he drove down the left side, cut inside on a Lions defender and scored on Trent Burnham (28 saves) with 9:43 to play in the second.
Holt Oliphant Strikes First for the Falcons⚡️ pic.twitter.com/ICUbMMvT3E
— Air Force Hockey (@AF_HKY) October 8, 2023
That all-important first goal held up for just 45 seconds. Blessing whiffed on a clearing pass and Lindenwood’s Drew Kuzma was on his doorstep to deposit the gimme.
“I told Blessing after the game the only way they were going to score is if you pass it to them,” Gavin joked. “If you don’t, I don’t think they’re going to score. He looked great tonight.”
Gavin’s goal came on a rebound after an alert play by Rowe in the final 2 minutes of the second. Rowe took a pass from Parker Brown above the right circle. He maneuvered to his right to find a lane to get the shot on net and Gavin pounced on Burnham’s rebound.
“Bottom six, second six, that group had three of our four goals tonight,” Rowe said. “Call them whatever you want but they’re effective.”
McCormick or the line’s third member, Brian Adams, could have just as easily had two goals. The group was just that effective — or irritating if you’re Lindenwood.
“They’re built to be noticeable,” Serratore said. “We’ve got a big, long center who competes like a madman in the middle (McCormick) and two roadrunners on the wings. They’re built to be a fan favorite. They’re reliable players, and I trust them out there.”
Falcons Don’t Fall into the Trap
When Lindenwood defeated Air Force last season for the first win in the program’s NCAA history, it scored three power-play goals. Preventing a repeat performance was imperative.
“We were concerned about their power play,” Serratore said. “The best way to non let their power play hurt us is not to have any penalties.”
The Falcons took just one and arguably generated the best scoring chance during it.
Air Force moved the puck fairly well on its two power plays, and Oliphant’s goal came on the heels of the second one.
If there is one category in the needs improvement checklist it’s puck management exiting the zone.
“They clog the neutral zone,” Serratore said. “They want us to make a silly play or have our D-men skate into the trap, and then they transition back with numbers.”
Lindenwood generated some chances doing that, but Blessing was there every time to stop it.
Saturday’s Three Stars
- Guy Blessing. 35 saves, several of the highlight variety.
- Austin Schwartz. The junior and his linemates were all over the place creating havoc.
- Luke Rowe. The co-captain was steady D with a new partner and added three assists.
Notes
It’s rare when an Air Force team with as much experience as this one has (16 upperclassmen) dresses freshmen, but the Falcons had five in their lineup Saturday. They were: forwards Brendan Gibbons and Owen Dubois, defensemen Owen Baumgartner and Will Staring and goaltender Carter Clafton. Gibbons started on the second line and Baumgartner was in the second defense pair. The four skaters all had shifts. Dubois’ drive right down Main Street drew the Lindenwood penalty that gave Air Force its first power play. Baumgartner displayed outstanding skating ability and creativity with the puck on his stick. After senior forward Nate Horn went out with an upper-body injury after blocking a shot in the second period, Serratore moved Baumgartner up to a line with Dubois and Gibbons. Staring then took regular shifts on D. … The second game of the series is Sunday at 5 p.m.
©First Line Editorial 2023
