Air Force Academy
Findlay
Findlay beats Air Force, 3-1
2/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
Feb. 22, 2003
Findlay moved ahead of Air Force in the College Hockey America standings as the Oilers beat the Falcons, 3-1, in Clauss Arena in Findlay, Ohio. Findlay took three points from Air Force in the two-game CHA series.
The Oilers improved to 9-17-4 overall and 2-10-4 in the CHA. Air Force fell to 10-19-3 overall and 2-10-3 in the league. With eight CHA points, Findlay is one point ahead of the sixth-place Falcons.
An evenly played first period ended in a scoreless tie. Air Force had an 8-7 shot advantage in the opening stanza. Findlay started the second period with 1:30 remaining on a power play and jumped on the Falcons from the opening faceoff. The Oilers out-shot the Falcons 15-4 during the first 12 minutes and took a 2-0 lead. Findlay's Andrew Radzak scored at the 1:45 mark of the second period for a 1-0 lead. Just four seconds after a UF power play ended, Radzak scored on a pass from the corner by Jason Maxwell. At the12:33 mark, Rigel Shaw scored on a rebound for a two-goal lead. Lee Arnold took the first shot that was saved and Shaw netted his sixth of the season.
Air Force picked up the pace in the final seven minutes of the second period and scored its only goal of the game. On a delayed penalty, the Falcons created a flurry in front of the net and Shane Saum scored his fifth of the season from Brooks Turnquist and Justin Hamilton at 14:03. Findlay out-shot Air Force, 20-14, in the period, but the Falcons played with much more intensity in the second half of the period.
Findlay held onto the one-goal advantage into the third period when David Vogt gave the Oilers some breathing room. D.J. Vogt scored on a two-on-one breakaway at the 5:21 mark for a 3-1 lead. His goal was assisted by Radzak and Maxwell.
Hamilton, the Falcon right winger from Alberta, Canada, has now scored a point in five of the last six games. Turnquist tallied his fifth assist of the season. Andy Berg was held without a point in a series for just the third time this season. The team's leading scorer, and the second-leading scorer in the conference, has scored just five points in his last nine games.
Air Force's power play again came up empty as the Falcons were 0-for-5 in this game and 0-for-12 in the series. The Falcons are 2-for-43 on the power play in the last six games. For most of the season, Air Force was in the top 10 in the nation in power play, but has now fallen out of the nation's top 20.
The shots on goal were even at 33 and each team was 0-for-5 on the power play. Oiler goaltender Jamie VandeSpyker made 32 saves, including 24 in the final two periods. Air Force net-minder Mike Polidor made 30 saves, including 18 in the second period. Polidor has now made 29 or more saves in 16 of his 30 starts this season.
"Our inability to score goals is killing us," head coach Frank Serratore said. "Our power play is not getting it done. When you only score two goals in a series, it is very difficult to win."
Air Force is on the road again next week as the Falcons travel to Detroit, Mich., for a two-game CHA series with Wayne State, The teams play Friday-Saturday, Feb. 28-Mar. 1, at 7:05 EST each night.
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