Air Force Academy
Findlay
Berg nets hat trick as Falcons beat Findlay, 6-2
11/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
Nov. 24, 2002
After a sluggish start, Air Force rallied for six unanswered goals in a 6-2 victory over Findlay in a College Hockey America game Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Cadet Ice Arena. The teams split the two-game series.
Findlay's Nick Udovicic scored 46 seconds into the game after Brandon Harker won the faceoff. Midway through the period, Steve Traver scored from Udovicic on the power play for a 2-0 lead. Findlay out-shot Air Force, 13-7, in the period.
Air Force looked like a new team in the final 40 minutes. Senior Andy Berg scored his second hat trick of the season and the Falcons out-shot Findlay, 24-18, in the final two periods.
Berg got the Falcons going with two second-period goals to tie the game. His first came from a nice pass by fellow senior Brian Reaney. Reaney made a pass through the crease to a wide-open Berg on the right post. His second was a rebound of Josh Priewe's shot with 5:53 remaining in the period.
Air Force scored three in the third period for its first home CHA win of the season. Senior Jake Tesar, playing in just his third game since the end of his sophomore year, scored the eventual game-winner at 6:27 of the third period. After scoring a goal against Army the end of his sophomore season, Tesar suffered a knee injury that kept him sidelined all last season. After Kyle Fransdal won the face-off, Tesar took the puck on the right point, walked it to the center and beat Jamie VandeSpyker over the shoulder.
Berg completed his hat trick with a goal at 8:14 from Seth Pelletier. Brian Reaney scored his first goal of the season, a slap shot on the power play, and Justin Hamilton rounded out the scoring at 17:38. Reaney's goal came from Berg and Scott Zwiers. Hamilton 's goal was assisted by Ross Miller and Matt Bader.
After a series of penalties, the Oilers had a 4-on-3 advantage with six minutes left in the game. Head coach Craig Barnett chose to pull the goalie from the net for a 5-on-3 advantage. Findlay got six shots on goal in 42 seconds, but Falcon tender Mike Polidor made all six saves.
Air Force improved to 5-7 overall and 2-4 in the CHA. Findlay fell to 3-6-1 overall and 1-2-1 in the CHA.
Each team was 1-for-4 on the power play and had 31 shots. VandeSpyker made 25 saves for the Oilers while Polidor had 29 for the Falcons.
Air Force returns to action next weekend against two nationally-ranked teams. The Falcons host Colorado College on Friday, Nov. 29, and then travel to Denver on Saturday, Nov. 30. The face-off is at 7:05 p.m. each night.
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