Falcons sweep Wayne State with 5-3 victory
3/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
DETROIT, Mich. -- Josh Schaffer scored two goals to lead Air Force to a 5-3 win over Wayne State in a College Hockey America game Saturday night, March 4, at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum in Detroit, Mich. The game was the final regular-season contest for both teams. The CHA Tournament begins Friday, March 11, at the same arena.
Air Force moved into a tie for fourth place in the CHA and improved to 11-19-1 overall and 8-12 in the CHA. Wayne State is 6-22-6 overall and 3-12-5 in the league.
The eight CHA wins is a new school record while the 16 league points ties the school record set in 2001-02. Air Force also earned its first CHA road sweep since Robert Morris last season. AFA took three of four from Wayne State this season.
Air Force scored two goals in the first 2:21 of the first period and had a 3-1 lead at the first intermission. Josh Schaffer put the Falcons on the board just 1:16 into the first period. Frank Schiavone started the breakout from behind his own net and made a pass to Josh Print at the red line. Print tipped it Schaffer who was open down the right wing. His shot beat Matt Kelly through the five hold for his ninth of the season.
The Falcons took a 2-0 lead at 2:21 mark on Josh Frider's fourth of the season. Frider started the play in his own end and fed Jay Medenwaldt. Medenwaldt's shot from the left faceoff dot was saved, but Frider cleaned up the rebound from the slot.
Wayne State got on the board at 12:40 on John May's goal from Matt Krug. Krug's pass in the neutral zone hit the skate of a Falcon player and bounced right to May at the blue line. May skated down the left wing and his wrister beat Peter Foster high to the stick side.
Air Force answered with Eric Ehn's second of the series and 14th of the season. Matt Charbonneau fed Andrew Ramsey in the neutral zone and the junior center skated down the right wing. His shot was redirected by Ehn who was coming through the slot for a 3-1 Falcon lead.
Matt Charbonneau's second goal of the season gave the Falcons a 4-1 lead with 3:10 left in the second period. On the power play, Ehn and Schaffer went to the boards after a loose puck. Ehn came out with it, and made a cross ice pass to Charbonneau at the right point. His shot beat Kelly high.
Wayne State cut the Falcon lead to 4-2 at the 12:12 mark of the third period with power play goal. The Falcons quickly answered with a power-play goal of their own. Charbonneau collected a Warrior clear, beat a WSU defenseman in the neutral zone and skated the puck down the left boards. His centering pass was right on the tape of Schaffer who netted his second of the game.
WSU scored with 4:29 remaining to make up the final margin. Adam Krug scored on a rebound to make the final score 5-3.
"On Friday, assistant coach Mike Corbett gave the guys an inspiring speech before our morning skate and I think that really meant a lot," head coach Frank Serratore said. "He usually doesn't say a lot to the group as a whole, but when he does, our guys listen. He really gave them a heart-felt message and the guys responded.
"When we scored the two quick goals tonight, that really set the tone," Serratore added. "Every time they scored a goal (except the last one), we answered and that was huge. We got the lead and then we answered their goals, those were the keys to the game."
The Falcons return to Detroit for the CHA Tournament Friday, March 11. Air Force is the fifth seed and will play fourth-seeded Robert Morris at 3:35 p.m. EST.
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Air Force moved into a tie for fourth place in the CHA and improved to 11-19-1 overall and 8-12 in the CHA. Wayne State is 6-22-6 overall and 3-12-5 in the league.
The eight CHA wins is a new school record while the 16 league points ties the school record set in 2001-02. Air Force also earned its first CHA road sweep since Robert Morris last season. AFA took three of four from Wayne State this season.
Air Force scored two goals in the first 2:21 of the first period and had a 3-1 lead at the first intermission. Josh Schaffer put the Falcons on the board just 1:16 into the first period. Frank Schiavone started the breakout from behind his own net and made a pass to Josh Print at the red line. Print tipped it Schaffer who was open down the right wing. His shot beat Matt Kelly through the five hold for his ninth of the season.
The Falcons took a 2-0 lead at 2:21 mark on Josh Frider's fourth of the season. Frider started the play in his own end and fed Jay Medenwaldt. Medenwaldt's shot from the left faceoff dot was saved, but Frider cleaned up the rebound from the slot.
Wayne State got on the board at 12:40 on John May's goal from Matt Krug. Krug's pass in the neutral zone hit the skate of a Falcon player and bounced right to May at the blue line. May skated down the left wing and his wrister beat Peter Foster high to the stick side.
Air Force answered with Eric Ehn's second of the series and 14th of the season. Matt Charbonneau fed Andrew Ramsey in the neutral zone and the junior center skated down the right wing. His shot was redirected by Ehn who was coming through the slot for a 3-1 Falcon lead.
Matt Charbonneau's second goal of the season gave the Falcons a 4-1 lead with 3:10 left in the second period. On the power play, Ehn and Schaffer went to the boards after a loose puck. Ehn came out with it, and made a cross ice pass to Charbonneau at the right point. His shot beat Kelly high.
Wayne State cut the Falcon lead to 4-2 at the 12:12 mark of the third period with power play goal. The Falcons quickly answered with a power-play goal of their own. Charbonneau collected a Warrior clear, beat a WSU defenseman in the neutral zone and skated the puck down the left boards. His centering pass was right on the tape of Schaffer who netted his second of the game.
WSU scored with 4:29 remaining to make up the final margin. Adam Krug scored on a rebound to make the final score 5-3.
"On Friday, assistant coach Mike Corbett gave the guys an inspiring speech before our morning skate and I think that really meant a lot," head coach Frank Serratore said. "He usually doesn't say a lot to the group as a whole, but when he does, our guys listen. He really gave them a heart-felt message and the guys responded.
"When we scored the two quick goals tonight, that really set the tone," Serratore added. "Every time they scored a goal (except the last one), we answered and that was huge. We got the lead and then we answered their goals, those were the keys to the game."
The Falcons return to Detroit for the CHA Tournament Friday, March 11. Air Force is the fifth seed and will play fourth-seeded Robert Morris at 3:35 p.m. EST.
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