Falcons host Mercyhurst in AHA series
10/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 31, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format 
This Week: Air Force (3-1, 1-1 AHA) hosts Mercyhurst (0-5-1, 0-1-1 AHA), Fri.-Sat., Nov. 2-3 at 7:35 p.m. MT each night at the Cadet Ice Arena (2,502)
Radio/Internet: Both games will be broadcast. Friday's game will be an internet broadcast only at GoAirForceFalcons.com. Saturday's game can be heard live on KKML AM 1300 The Sports Animal in Colorado Springs and on the internet. Both games will be broadcast. Friday's game will be an internet broadcast only at GoAirForceFalcons.com. Saturday's game can be heard live on KKML AM 1300 The Sports Animal in Colorado Springs and on the internet. Jay Ritchie will do the play-by-play while Dave Toller will do the color. The pregame show begins at 7:15 p.m. each night. Live stats will be available at GoAirForceFalcons.com and clicking on the hockey page and then the schedule.
Video Streaming/Television: Both games will be video streamed with audio by the B2 Network on a subscription basis. For more information, please go to the Atlantic Hockey Association web-site at AtlanticHockeyOnline.com. No television.
Last Week: AFA split a two-game league series at Bentley, losing 4-0, and then winning 3-1. Mercyhurst lost and tied in a two-game league series at home with Holy Cross, losing 4-1 and tying 2-2
The Coaches: Air Force coach Frank Serratore (Bemidji State, 1982) is in his 11th season with the Falcons and his 15th as a collegiate head coach. He has an Air Force record of 152-190-24. His overall mark is 201-282-33. Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin (Brockport State, 1982) is in his 20th season at Mercyhurst with a school and overall record of 347-223-40.
Rankings: Air Force is receiving votes in both national polls. Based on the number of votes, Air Force is 24th in the USCHO/CSTV poll and 19th in the USA Hockey Magazine/USA Today poll.Mercyhurst is unranked.
Scouting The Opponents: Mercyhurst College (Erie, Pa.) is 0-5-1 overall this season and 0-1-1 in the AHA. The Lakers have played a difficult schedule, losing 2-1 to Ohio State (receiving votes), 4-0 to 14th-ranked Notre Dame and 4-2 and 4-1 to 12th-ranked Maine. Last weekend, Holy Cross took three points in the league openers for both teams. Holy Cross won 4-1 and the teams tied 2-2 in overtime in the two-game series at Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. Senior forward Ben Cottreau leads the team with three goals and six points. Freshman goalie Ryan Zapolski has played 83 percent of the team's minutes and has a .909 saves percentage and a 3.37 GAA.
Series vs. Mercyhurst: Air Force and Mercyhurst have played four times and each team has won twice. The only meetings came last season as each team swept on the road.
First Time 3-1 Since ...: AFA opens the season 3-1 for the first time since the 2000-01 season (AFA was also 3-1 that year). That season, Air Force beat AIC twice when the Falcons were members of the CHA and AIC was in the MAAC. AFA then beat Fairfield and lost to Quinnipiac. The 3-1 mark is the second best under Serratore as his second team, the 1998-99 team opened the season 3-0-1 with a win a tie vs. Holy Cross and a sweep of Wisconsin-Stout. The best six-game record under Serratore was a 4-2 mark in the 1999-00 and the 2003-04 seasons
Shots Not Important, Wins Are: Oh what a difference a year makes. Last season, Air Force was outshot just six times in 40 games. AFA was on just 1-5 in those games. However, AFA has been out-shot in every game this season and Air Force is 3-1 in those games. Last season, Air Force held its opponents to 24. 9 shots per game. This season, AFA is allowing just 26.5 shots per game. The biggest difference is on offense. Last season, Air Force led the league with 34.4 per shots per game. However, this season, AFA is averaging just 23.8 shots per game.
Goalie Among Best in the Nation: Sophomore Andrew Volkening's numbers through the first four games are the best in Atlantic Hockey and among the best in the nation. Volkening ranks first in the AHA in saves percentage (.943) and goals against average (1.52). He is the only goalie in the league with a saves percentage over .925 and a GAA below 2.00. Volkening ranks 11th in the nation in GAA and ninth in saves percentage.
