Air Force hockey has made a habit of long, second-half win streaks.

This season, the Falcons have fashioned another sort of streak. Two heart-breaking losses to RIT over the weekend extended Air Force’s losing streak to six games. That’s moved Air Force from contention for hosting an Atlantic Hockey America quarterfinal series to possibly having to go on the road in the first round for a one-and-done game.

There are three weeks remaining the Falcons’ regular season, but all is not lost if the Falcons stick to their identity.

No moral victories

The good news is Air Force, with the exception (to some degree) of the second game against Holy Cross on Jan. 25, has been in every game during the slide. Five the of the six losses have been by one goal, including two in overtime and another in the final 30 seconds.

The Falcons have had to play catch-up but also have surrendered some leads, so it isn’t as if there is a pattern to the slump. If there is one consistent theme, and this has been the case all season, it’s that goals are tough to come by.

Air Force has 13 in the six games, which tracks with its season — and really, its recent history. Three remains the magic number on the scoreboard for the Falcons. Only twice have they lost this season when they hit that benchmark, and both of those instances have come during this streak (at Army on Jan. 18 and the Holy Cross game one week later).

Goaltending isn’t the issue

Senior Guy Blessing has been just that for the Falcons.

He’s stayed healthy (29 starts in 30 games) for the second season in a row, and he’s producing his best numbers of his NCAA career. His .906 save percentage is up from .899 the past two seasons. His goals against average of 2.56 dwarfs his previous best of 2.81. Blessing’s three shutouts are a career high.

He’s been fantastic in AHA play, and his GAA of 1.92 is the league’s third best.

Air Force’s young and improving defense has helped him, too. The Falcons, who rely heavily on full-lineup buy-in on defense, have allowed the second-fewest shots on goal in the league.

Paging the offense

At this point, the Falcons’ offense is what it is.

Some players have progressed (sophomore forwards Brandan Gibbons, with eight goals and 15 points, and Nick Remissong with 15 points and 11 assists immediately come to mind).

But opponents know the offense runs through junior defenseman Chris Hedden when he’s on the ice, and they don’t give him a lot of clean looks or as much space to operate. Still, he has a team-high nine goals. Senior forward Austin Schwartz has eight, and fellow senior co-captain Clayton Cosentino has five among his team-high 21 points. Other than sophomore D Nolan Cunningham (10 points), the Falcons have no other players in double figures … 30 games into the season.

Hedden had more space last season because opponents had to game plan for the twin rocket launchers of left wing Will Gavin and defenseman Luke Rowe. The Falcons don’t have that, or as much depth scoring, this time around.

So how does Air Force get on track?

The Falcons can’t get into track meets, but that’s rarely (ever?) been their style. They win by pressuring the other team, forcing turnovers and sustaining attack time.

Air Force grinds teams down, it feeds off that. It energizes the defense, and Blessing has been a great equalizer when teams do get high-danger chances.

Really, that has to be the formula. When it works, it really works because it frustrates foes to the point of self-destruction at times.

Falcons still hold plenty of cards

All is not lost, thanks in part to the schedule makers.

The Falcons swept this week’s foe, Canisius, earlier this season. The Golden Griffins sit one spot and four points ahead of Air Force in sixth place in AHA.

Next week, Army comes to town. The teams’ series two weeks ago started Air Force’s dip when a Friday comeback came up short and a Saturday lead evaporated in an overtime loss. Anything can happen in that series, but the Black Knights are in fifth place, just six up on the Falcons.

The season concludes at eighth-place Robert Morris, which is in a similar situation to Air Force in that a hot start has faded some.

Fourth place seems out of reach, but fifth (and a first-round bye and quarterfinal trip) isn’t if the Falcons can regain their mojo in the next three weeks.

For one of Division I’s youngest teams, that would be a remarkable accomplishment.

©First Line Editorial 2025