Air Force enjoyed its winningest hockey season in six years in 2023-24. There were several reasons for that. Here are three main ones that stood out.
Healthy Goaltending Is A Blessing
A year ago, the Falcons endured any hockey coach’s nightmare — repeated injuries and a departure at the most important position. Guy Blessing’s season ended at Christmas break, a freshman goaltender left the team early in the season, and backup Maizson Balboa battled injuries. That thrust little-used senior Austin Park into the limelight and had a club hockey goalie as his main backup as times.
That completely changed this past season when Blessing started every game, went 18-18-1 and had a goals-against average of 2.81. Yes, his career-best .899 save percentage wasn’t lights out, but he gave the Falcons a chance to win nearly every night. Air Force also finished 25th (out of 64 teams) in shots allowed per game.
Blessing’s continued health, the ability to train all summer and the experience of playing a full schedule should only benefit him and the Falcons in 2024-25.
Special Teams Were Special
Air Force’s special teams were demonstrably better from a season before. The reality is when Air Force is going good its special teams are a big reason why.
The penalty kill was back to Air Force’s lofty standards, too.
The 84.8 percent success rate was sixth nationally, and it’s nine shorthanded goals led the nation. Austin Schwartz had four of them and tied with Denver’s Carter King for most in D-I.
An effective PK was important because the Falcons took the 18th most penalty minutes per game (11.8). That was still an improvement over 2022-23, when they took 12.8 minutes per game and the PK was effective 80.5 percent of the time.
This improvement swung games for the Falcons. Fifteen of their wins included at least one power-play goal, and five included two or more.
Air Force forward Will Gavin. Photo courtesy of Air Force Athletics
Offense Emerges
Goals aren’t easy to come by, especially in Atlantic Hockey, but Air Force managed to average its magic number of three.
When the Falcons score three times, it’s often a win. Their 115 goals were 20 more than the previous year.
Air Force allowed 119, which was nine fewer than 2022-23.
Individually, the top line of Gavin, Cosentino and Parker Brown accounted for 95 points, and the top defense pairing of Hedden and Rowe put up 66 points. However, the Falcons also had double-digit goal-scorers in Schwartz and Holt Oliphant. And seven more players hit double figures in points, so there was some balance.
Add it up and the Falcons had their best season since their previous one in the NCAA Tournament in 2018.
©First Line Editorial 2024
