Falcons host Findlay in CHA series
11/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
Nov. 19, 2002
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This Week: Air Force (4-6, 1-3 CHA) hosts the University of Findlay (2-5-1, 0-1-1 CHA) Friday, Nov. 22, and Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Cadet Ice Arena. Friday's face-off is at 7:35 p.m. while Sunday's is at 12:05 p.m.
Radio/Television/Internet: Both games will be broadcast live in Colorado Springs on KBZC (formally KUBL) AM 1300. The pregame show begins 20 minutes prior to face-off. Jay Ritchie, in his sixth season of Air Force hockey, will do the play-by-play.
Follow the Falcons Anywhere: Air Force hockey can be heard anywhere in the United States via the telephone. Falcon hockey radio broadcasts can be heard on TeamLine by dialing 1-800-846-4700. The team access code is 0671. This service is free of charge to listeners thanks to the Air Force Academy athletic department. Hockey games can also be listened to on the internet at www.AirForceSports.com. Go to the hockey page and click on Listen to the Falcons on the right side of the screen. The broadcast schedule for the remainder of the season has not yet been set. Once determined, the schedule will be posted on the hockey page of the web-site.
Scouting the Opponents: The University of Findlay (Findlay, Ohio) is a member of College Hockey America. The Oilers are 2-5-1 overall this season and 0-1-1 in the CHA. The Oilers are currently on a six-game winless skid. Findlay opened the season with a sweep at Canisius. Since then, UF is 0-5-1. The team lost to league-leading Bemidji State (2-1) on Nov. 8 and then tied the Beavers (2-2) on Nov. 9. Last weekend, Findlay nearly upset 13th-ranked Miami (Ohio). After a 9-4 loss on Friday, Findlay scored two third-period goals to send Saturday's game into overtime. Miami won the game, 4-3, in the extra period. Junior center Nick Udovicic leads the team with 11 points and four goals. Senior winger Jason Maxwell has four goals and 10 points. Senior goalie Jamie VandeSpyker has played 88 percent of the minutes in the net. He has a .915 saves percentage and a 2.77 goals-against average. Findlay is coached by Craig Barnett in his eighth season (97-93-12).
Series Records: Air Force and Findlay have played 14 times with each team winning seven. Air Force is 4-2 at the Cadet Ice Arena, 1-5 at Findlay and 2-0 on neutral ice. AFA has won three straight at home vs. Findlay. The Falcons swept Findlay last season in the season finale, 5-1 and 4-3. AFA split with Findlay in November, 2000, a 3-1 win and a 5-4 overtime loss.
Last Season Vs. Findlay: Each team swept the series at home last season. Findlay defeated Air Force by identical scores of 4-2 in early January. In the first game, Air Force's Bryson Rintala and Scott Zwiers scored in the first period for a 2-0 lead. Findlay scored one in the second (Brian Sherry) and then added three in the third. Chris Wyzgowski scored two minutes into the period and Brant Somerville scored the game-winner at 7:20. Findlay added an empty-net goal with 37 seconds remaining. Mike Polidor made 38 saves as the Falcons were out-shot, 41-27. In the second game, Findlay's Rigel Shaw and Air Force's Derek Olson scored in a 1-1 first period. Findlay scored three in the second period, two within a 17-second span. Aaron Weegar, Mark Bastl and Kris Wiebe scored in the period. Zwiers scored for the Falcons in the final four seconds of the game. At Air Force, the Falcons out-scored Findlay, 9-4 in the series. In the first game, Brian Rodgers and Andy Berg scored in the first period as the Falcons held on for a 4-3 win. Rodgers and Sherry scored in the second period and the Falcons led 3-1. AFA's Shane Saum gave the Falcons a 4-1 advantage, but Findlay came roaring back. Shaw scored at 12:24 and then added his second of the game after UF pulled the goaltender with 1:41 remaining. AF out-shot UF, 43-27. In the second game, Zwiers and Rodgers scored in the first period and the Falcons cruised to a 5-1 win. Rodgers added his third goal of the series in the second period. Brian Reaney and Justin Hamilton scored for the Falcons in the third period, while Andy Croak scored Findlay's only goal of the game. AF out-shot the Oilers, 35-24.
The Big 4-Oh: Air Force's 40 shots vs. Alabama-Huntsville, Saturday, Nov. 16, is the most in a road conference game since 46 at Findlay on Feb. 10, 2001. The span covered 19 regular-season and tournament road conference games. The 40 shots is also the most ever against Alabama-Huntsville since joining the CHA in the 1999-2000 season. Air Force averaged 37 shots per game in the UAH series which is the highest average in a series vs. the Chargers since joining the conference. Air Force averaged 28 shots per game at Huntsville last season, 26 per game in 2000-01 and 17.5 in 1999-00.
CHA Individual Leaders: Air Force boasts three of the top seven scorers in the CHA. Andy Berg (8-6-14) is second and Scott Zwiers is third (4-9-13). Ryan Wiggins is tied for seventh (2-6-8). Berg is also second in the league with eight goals. Zwiers leads the CHA with nine assists while Wiggins and Berg are tied for fifth with seven. Berg leads the league with nine power-play points and six power-play goals. Steve Mead leads all CHA defensemen with seven points. Brian Reaney and Ross Miller are tied for third with four points. Carson Strang is tied for fifth among CHA freshmen with four points, while Matt Bader is tied for first with three goals.
CHA Team Leaders: Air Force leads the CHA in scoring with 3.40 goals per game. The Falcons are fifth of six teams in scoring defense, allowing 5.10 per game. The Falcons are second in the league with 20.6 penalty minutes per game. The Falcon power play (20.6) ranks second while the penalty kill is fifth (73.8).
National Leaders: Andy Berg is tied for second in the nation with six power-play goals. Mike Polidor is sixth in the nation with 570 minutes played.
Who's Hot: Andy Berg has scored at least one point in every series this season. He has at least one point in seven of 10 games this season and has scored in five of the last six. In the last six games, he has three goals and four assists for seven points. After not scoring in three straight games, Tom Starkey has scored at least one point in three of the last four games. Brian Reaney's four-game point-scoring ended against UAH, Nov. 16. He has scored at least one point in five of his last six games. Spanky Leonard scored just one point in the first four games and now has scored in five of the last six. He has seven points in the last six games on three goals and four assists. Scott Zwiers has the longest scoring streak by a Falcon this season, six games. In the last six games, Zwiers has eight points on three goals and five assists. Freshman Matt Bader's three-game goal-scoring streak, the longest by a Falcon this season, ended against UAH on Nov. 15. He did have an assist vs. UAH and now has scored in four of his last five games.
Berg and Zwiers Climb Up the Charts: Seniors Andy Berg and Scott Zwiers continue to climb up the career scoring list at Air Force. Berg has 116 points (50-66) in 113 games and is tied for 27th on the career scoring list with Bob Ingraham. Zwiers has 103 points (42-61) in 120 games and is tied for 35th on the list with former teammate Brian Gornick.
Last Week: Air Force swept at Alabama-Huntsville, 4-2 and 5-2, in a College Hockey America series in Huntsville, Ala.
On Deck: Air Force faces a pair of nationally-ranked teams as the Falcons host Colorado College on Friday, Nov. 29, at 7:05 p.m. and then travels up I-25 to face Denver on Sat., Nov. 30, at 7:05 p.m.
