Jasper Lester has been a jack of all trades for Air Force hockey during his four seasons with the program.

An excellent skater, the senior is proficient at playing defense or forward and has filled a valuable role on the Falcons’ roster.

His family has a long background in hockey, and Jasper should be no stranger to hockey fans in Colorado given that he grew up playing in Colorado Springs.

>>MEET THE CLASS OF 2025: Blessing | Cosentino | DeCarlo | Digby | Lester | Schwartz

He recently took some time to talk to AFAFlightPath.com founder Chris Bayee.

Did your family have any military background, and what convinced you to go to Air Force?

My step-dad was in the Air Force for a good amount of his life. My step-mom went to the Academy for a brief amount of time. She was medically disqualified to fly so she went on to something else. Neither of them really talked much about it.

What appealed to me was it’s close to home and in a great area. It’s a great opportunity for school and once you graduate. A lot of people who influenced told me that.

How did you get into the sport?

My dad got me into hockey. He played D-I at (Alaska Fairbanks) and pro afterwards. He was in the ECHL  for a couple of teams, including the Gold Kings in Alaska in the late 90s. Then they moved to Colorado. After a season or two here, he retired. He’s the reason I got into hockey.

We went to CC games growing up at World Arena, which was closer to where we lived at the time. Around 13 or 14 we moved pretty much across the street from the Academy. In later years, when I started falling in love with Air Force.

Yet, you played right up the road from the Academy for most of your youth career.

Yes, I played my whole career with the Colorado Rampage, except for mini-Mites with the CC Jr. Tigers. I played Squirt through U18 at the Rampage, staring with house league and eventually AAA when I got to 14U. Eventually, my family moved to the North Gate area, and I went to high school in D20 at Discovery Canyon.

How did Air Force come on the radar for you?

It happened during my later years at the Rampage, when I was trying pursue junior. I wanted to try to take hockey as far as I could. I started to see what the Academy is all about.

Air Force has a showcase in the summer where they invite top youth prospects from Colorado and neighboring states. I went my 17 and 18 years and had a good experience. I got MVP of one of the games in my 17 year. Then I was MVP of the entire showcase my 18 year. That was a good stepping stone. A week or two later, I got an email coach Serratore about taking a visit.

The story gets interesting here because you had crossed paths with two of your current teammates, right?

Two weeks before I left for Fairbanks, Alaska, where I was going to play for the Ice Dogs (of the North American Hockey League), I had my visit, and (Falcons co-captain) Austin Schwartz was on it, which is cool when I think about it now, but it wasn’t then.

We grew up playing against each other; he played for the Thunderbirds. We didn’t say much to each other because we didn’t like each other. We were Class 1 rivals at the time.

When you received your offer from Air Force, that year, it helped influence the Falcons’ other co-captain, Clayton Cosentino to check out the Academy. What is the story there?

We were both 16 turning 17 when he came from California. We were on the same Rampage U18 team for two years. We got really close, became really good friends. He joined our friend group with a lot of my buddies here. He fit in well, and we grew close really quick. We went to high school together and were on the ice two or three times a day. So we spent a lot of time together, which is why we got so close so fast.

I committed in September, he was getting in contact with Air Force because he went to a few games, too. Right before March he committed. He called me leading up to that to ask what I thought about it. You hear all these things about the Academy, and you think how you’ll have your best friend there the whole time. It’s fun how it worked out with both of those guys.

You’ve been in and out of the lineup at times due to injuries and coaches’ decisions. How do you stay sharp?

All it comes down to treating every day like it’s an opportunity to get better. If you have that mindset for practice, workouts, you’re going to be locked in. You’re going to put the best foot forward. It’s a mindset: that next opportunity you have I’m going to get in. Even when I’m in the stands, I’m watching tendencies, looking for an edge. Every day is an opportunity and you never know what will happen.

What is your favorite memory during your time at Air Force?

I always think back to freshman year when we went on that stretch with Alex Schilling as our goalie. Everyone picked us to finish last in Atlantic Hockey. Nobody had high hopes for us. We were sneaking up on people, winning against teams we shouldn’t have. Beating Michigan State on the road, for example.

The best memory was going on that playoff run after we barely made the playoffs. We got a bye week. Then we played at Army, lost the first game and won the next two in OT. Those were stellar, front-of-your-seat games. Winning that series gave us so much momentum. We went all the way to the (AHA) final. A month straight of tremendous cohesion on the team and so much belief.

Are you picky about gear or do you have any rituals?

I wouldn’t say I am about gear, but I’ve always had this thing that I couldn’t listen to my own music before a game. I don’t know if I thought it was a distraction or what. I always had to listen to what guys were playing the locker room. I never put on headphones, and I try to keep away from distractions.

Who are the team DJs?

It rotates between Clay and Andrew DeCarlo. They do a pretty good job.

Who is your funniest teammate?

The guys who are always making guys laugh. Guy Blessing is pretty high up there; he’s pretty witty. Either it’s really funny or it’s really off and throws you.

Your coach might be the king of one-liners. Do you have a favorite?

I like his analogy of you’re either pitching or you’re catching. You’re either throwing blows at the other team or you’re getting it thrown at you.

©First Line Editorial 2025