Hockey Defeats Calgary in Exhibition Game
10/8/2000 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
USAFA, Colo. -- The new ice at the Air Force Academy has been christened -- and what a debut it was for the Falcon hockey team.
With new ice, boards and glass the Air Force hockey team opened the season with a 4-2 victory over the University of Calgary, Sunday night at the Cadet Ice Arena. Despite this being as exhibition game that will not count in the team's record, this victory could be considered an upset. Calgary pushed Colorado College, perennially a top 10 team, before falling to the Tigers, 2-1, Friday night.
If the win is any indication, this Falcon squad will provide many highlights throughout the season. A young team with just four seniors, Air Force put together a complete, organized attack that was exciting to watch. A team that strives to be the most difficult team in the nation to play against, Air Force now has more talent to go with the blue-collar work ethic.
"Our kids have worked hard and they give us 100 percent every day," fourth-year head coach Frank Serratore said. "Our kids have a lot of character and they never give up. They proved that tonight."
The Falcons gave a crowd of 1,169 on Fan Appreciation Night plenty to cheer about as the team rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the second period for four unanswered goals. After a scoreless first period, Calgary scored two goals in a 1:04 span in the second period. Colin Embley got the Dinos on the board first at 7:00 of the second period. His goal came just two seconds after a Calgary power play ended as the Dinos put pressure on the Falcon goal and Embley punched one in from Scott Fukami and Mike Muzechka. Sixty-four seconds later. Calgary's Trevor Segstro took a pass through the neutral zone and scored on a breakaway for a 2-0 lead.
Following the goal, the Dinos pulled goalie Scott Ridout and the Falcons capitalized with their first shot on the new tender. Brian Rodgers blasted a slap shot from between the circles that beat new goalie Tyler Nillson to the top right corner. His goal came from Andy Berg and Scott Zwiers off of a face-off.
"The key to the game was when we were down 2-0 and we came right back with a goal," Serratore said. "Rodgers' goal was unstoppable. He hit is so hard and put it in a place that it just does not get saved by anyone."
Just over a minute later, Brian Gornick tied the game on a great pass from freshman Shane Saum. Saum took the puck out of the corner, skated in from the boards and found Gornick between the circles. Gornick's backhand wrister over Nillson's shoulder made the score 2-2. The Falcons came out in the third period with freshman Mike Polidor in the goal. The rookie made nine saves, including several redirects in front, to keep the Falcons in the game.
"Polidor made several big saves for us," Serratore said. "He is a good young goalie. It was nice to get him into a game against a good team and watch him have some success in his first game."
It was another freshman who gave the Falcons their first lead of the game. After Spanky Leonard won the face-off in the offensive zone, the puck was stopped on the ice in the middle of the circle. Anthony Masotto stepped in and blasted a slap shot past Nillson for a 3-2 lead. Trailing by a goal, the Dinos turned up the intensity in the last eight minutes with physical hockey. The Falcons kept their composure and Billy O'Reilly's empty-net goal with 42 seconds left iced the game.
All four lines scored a goal for the Falcons, a testament to the fact that this team now has more depth than in recent years. The young defense, which is the biggest question mark this season, was also solid.
"We are not deep on defense and we have a lot of young guys," Serratore said. "We are better defensively than a lot of people give us credit for. And we are going to get even better as the season progresses."
The Falcons take the ice for real, Oct. 13-14, when the team opens the regular season against American International at 7:05 p.m. each night at the Cadet Ice Arena.
