Falcons travel to Denver, host Robert Morris
11/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 22, 2006
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
This Week: Air Force (7-6-1, 5-2-1 AHA) plays a pair of non-conference games Friday and Sunday, Nov. 24 and 26. The Falcons travel to Denver to face the 11th-ranked DU Pioneers (7-4-1), Friday, Nov. 24, at 7:35 p.m. at Magness Arena. AFA then returns to the home ice to host Robert Morris (4-6-0), Sunday, Nov. 26, at 5:05 p.m. at the Cadet Ice Arena.
Radio/Television/Internet: No Air Force radio for Denver. The game will be broadcast on KCKK AM 1600 in Denver and at www.DenverPioneers.com. Go to the hockey page and then the schedule to listen to the game. The Robert Morris game will be broadcast at www.GoAirForceFalcons.com on the internet only. Jay Ritchie will do the play-by-play while Dave Toller will do the color. The pregame show begins at 4:45 p.m. on Sunday.
Scouting the Opponents: Denver (7-4-1) is ranked 11th in the nation. The Pioneers are 5-2-1 for second place in the WCHA. The Pioneers are on a five-game unbeaten streak. DU took three points from Michigan Tech last week with a win and a tie at home. DU is among the top defensive teams in the nation, allowing just 2.33 goals per game. Junior Ryan Dingle leads the team with eight goals and 12 points. Senior Glenn Fisher and junior Peter Mannino have split time in the nets this season. Robert Morris (4-6-0) is 3-3-0 in College Hockey America. The Colonials split with Alabama-Huntsville at home. winning 4-3 on Friday and losing 7-2 on Saturday. Senior Aaron Clarke leads the team with four goals and 12 points.
DU Connection: Air Force and Denver have several connections. Falcon head coach Frank Serratore was the head coach at Denver from 1990-94. Falcon assistant coach Mike Corbett is a 1996 graduate of DU. He was a three-year letterman as a defenseman and was an assistant captain from 1995-97. Corbett was recruited to Denver by Serratore. DU senior forward Steve Cook played at the Air Force in 2002-03. Cook played in 33 games and had eight points (2-6-8). He left the Academy after his freshman season. He has played in all 12 games this season and has two points (1-1-2).
RMU Connection: RMU head coach Derek Schooley spent five seasons at Air Force under Frank Serratore. He was an assistant coach for four years (1998-02) and was promoted to associate head coach in 2002-03. Schooley also played junior hockey for Serratore with the Omaha Lancers.
The Coaches: Air Force coach Frank Serratore (Bemidji State, 1982) is in his 10th season at Air Force and his 14th as a collegiate head coach. He has a 134-178-20 record at AFA and an overall mark of 183-270-29. Denver coach George Gwozdecky is in his 13th year at DU and his 21st as a college head coach. He has a 283-180-37 record at DU and an overall mark of 433-304-58. RMU coach Derek Schooley has a 24-47-7 school and overall record in his three season with the Colonials.
Ehn Leading the Nation: Junior center Eric Ehn is leading the nation in points (28), points per game (2.00), goals (14) and goals per game (1.00). Ehn has led the nation in goals since Oct. 21. He just moved into the national lead in points this week. Ehn has scored in 11 of the 14 games this season and has six multiple-point games.
Among the Best in the Nation: Several Falcons rank among the national leaders in various categories. Along with leading the nation in goals and points, Ehn is 10th in assists per game (1.00) and tied for seventh in power-play goals (5). Andrew Ramsey is tied for first in the nation in game-winning goals (3), is 22nd in points per game (1.46) and 22nd in goals per game (0.75). Mike Phillipich is 52nd in the nation in points per game (1.21) and 52nd in assists per game (0.79). Goalie Ian Harper is 25th in the nation in goals-against average (2.40). The Falcon offense ranks 19th at 3.43 goals per game while the defense is 28th at 3.00 goals allowed per game. The Air Force power play ranks 36th (16.1) while the penalty kill is 55th (75.9).
Last Meetings: DU beat Air Force, 4-2, last season at Cadet Ice Arena. The ninth-ranked Pioneers out-shot Air Force, 23-19. DU led 2-1 entering the third period, but goals by Ryan Dingle and Patrick Mullen gave the Pioneers a 4-1 lead midway through the third period. Jay Medenwaldt scored with just over two minutes remaining for Air Force. RMU won all five meetings last season. In the five games, Air Force outshot RMU, 182-99. Peter Foster (AFA) and Christian Boucher (RMU) played all five games between the pipes. RMU swept the series in Pittsburgh in early February by scores of 5-2 and 3-2. In the second game, Air Force led 1-0 to start the third period, but RMU scored three third-period goals, including the game-winner with 4:51 remaining. In late February, RMU swept the Falcons in Colorado, 3-2 in overtime and 5-1. In the first game, AFA came back to tie the game with two goals early in the third period. RIT's Sean Berkstresser scored the game winner at 3;28 of overtime. The two teams met in the first round of the CHA Tournament in Detroit, March 10. Air Force had a 3-0 lead in the second period. However, RMU scored two later in the second period to make the score 3-2 after two periods. The Colonials then tied the game with 5:11 remaining and scored the game winner with 4:09 left to end the Falcons' season.
Series Record: Air Force and Denver will be meeting for the 28th time. DU holds a 25-2 advantage in the series that began in 1972. Both of Air Force's wins in the series came at DU (9-8 in 1978 and 5-3 in 1980). DU has won 18 straight in the series dating back to 1980. AFA is 2-15 at DU. Air Force and Robert Morris will play for the 10th time. RMU leads the series, 6-3. The Colonials have won six straight in the series, including five last season. The teams have played four times at Air Force and RMU has won three, including a two-game sweep last season at Cadet Ice Arena.
Over the Hump: Air Force moved over the .500 mark for the first time this season with the sweep of AIC. The Falcons are over .500 for the first time since the middle of the 2004-05 season. AFA was 12-11-2 on Feb. 4, 2005, before finishing 14-19-2. AFA did not get over .500 at any point last season.
Ramsey Player of the Week: Air Force senior winger Andrew Ramsey was named the Atlantic Hockey Association offensive player of the week for his performance in the two-game series against American International College (AIC), Nov. 17-19. Ramsey scored a career-best four goals in Air Force's 6-1 win on Friday. The assistant captain also scored a goal in Sunday's 3-0 win to give him five goals on the weekend. He scored the first goal in both games and netted the game-winner on Sunday. Ramsey also had 10 shots on Friday, a career-best and the most by any Falcon this season.
Streaking: Air Force won two straight for the first time this season and has now won three of the last four. The Falcons were just 1-3 in the first two weeks of the season, but are now 4-1-1 in the last six games.
A Hat Trick Plus One: Senior winger Andrew Ramsey scored four goals in Air Force's 6-1 win over AIC, Nov. 17. The four goals are the most by a Falcon since Justin Kieffer scored four vs. UConn, Jan. 3, 1998.
About the Home Stand: Air Force is in the midst of a home stand as it plays five of the next six games at home after playing six of the first 12 on the road. The Falcons host AIC, Nov. 17 and 19, Robert Morris on Nov. 26 and Sacred Heart on Dec. 1-2. The only road game is only 60 miles away at Denver on Friday, Nov. 24.
On Deck: Following the DU-RMU games, Air Force hosts Sacred Heart on Dec. 1-2, at the Cadet Ice Arena. The Friday game is at 7:05 p.m while the Saturday game is at 7:35 p.m
Last Week: Air Force swept a two-game series from American International College (AIC) by scores of 6-1 and 3-0, Nov. 17-19, at the Cadet Ice Arena.
