Air Force hosts UCon, Nov. 16-17
11/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 14, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format 
This Week UConn (2-5, 2-4 AHA) at Air Force (5-3, 3-3 AHA) Friday-Saturday, Nov. 16-17, 7:35 p.m. MT, Cadet Ice Arena (2,502), USAFA, Colo.
Radio/Internet Both games will be broadcast on the radio on KKML AM 1300 The Sports Animal and on the internet at GoAirForceFalcons.com. 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 road league series at RIT, winning 2-1 in overtime and losing 4-3 on Saturday UConn split a two-game league series with Bentley, losing 4-2 on the road and winning 3-2 at home in overtime.
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 154-192-24. His overall mark is 203-284-33. UConn coach Bruce Marshall (UConn, 1985) is in his 20th season with the Huskies with a school and overall record of 274-267-52.
Rankings Air Force is receiving votes in both national polls. Based on the number of votes, Air Force is 25th in the USCHO/CSTV poll and 22nd in the USA Hockey Magazine/USA Today poll. UConn is unranked.
Scouting The Opponents UConn is 2-5-0 overall and 2-4-0 in the AHA. UConn opened the season with a 4-2 win over AIC, but then lost five straight to UMass, Army, two vs. Sacred Heart and Bentley. The streak ended with a 3-2 overtime win at Bentley, Saturday, Nov. 10. Sophomore Michael Coppola leads the team with four goals and seven points. Sophomore goalie Beau Erickson has played 96 percent of the team's minutes in goal. He has a 3.52 goals-against average and a .896 saves percentage. The Huskies are connecting on just 7.1 percent of their power plays (2-for-28). UConn is killing 90 percent of the opponents power plays. The Huskies are averaging just 2.14 goals per game while allowing 3.57.
Series vs. UConn Air Force leads the series with UConn, winning nine of the 11 games. AFA is 8-0 at home vs. the Huskies. However, UConn has won two of the last three games in the series. The teams met twice last season in Storrs, Conn. Air Force won the first game, 4-2, while UConn won the second game, 7-5.
Last Meetings Air Force and UConn met twice in Storrs, Conn., last season and the two teams split the series. AFA won the first game, 4-2, to extend its unbeaten streak to four games. Josh Schaffer and Eric Ehn scored in the first period which ended in a 2-2 tie. Josh Frider and Brian Reese scored in the third period for the 4-2 win. Peter Foster stopped 22 of the 24 shots he faced. UConn won the second game, 7-5. AFA held a 5-2 lead entering the third period on goals by Frank Schiavone, Andrew Ramsey, Brian Gineo, Mike Phillipich and Jeff Hajner. However, UConn opened the third period with a power-play goal 1:42 into the period and scored five goals for a 7-5 win. Peter Foster started game and stopped nine of the first 11 shots. However, he gave up four in the third and Ian Harper gave up one, the eventual game-winner.
Serratore Needs One Win To Become All-Time Leader at AFA Head coach Frank Serratore needs just one win to become the all-time winningest coach at Air Force. Chuck Delich (1986-97) and John Matchefts (1975-85) each won 154 games at Air Force. Delich earned 154 wins in 370 games in 12 seasons. Matchefts collected 154 wins in 310 games in 11 years. Serratore also has 154 wins in 370 games in just over 10 full seasons. Serratore tied Delich and Matchefts with the win over RIT, Nov. 9. Serratore already holds the record for the most Division I wins at the Academy with 123. Delich won 49 Division I games while Matchefts won 17. Serratore has won more Division I games in 10+ seasons than the previous three coaches in the history of Falcon hockey combined.
5-3 Record Best Ever vs. Division I Teams AFA's 5-3 record through the first eight games is the best in school history against Division I competition. The 5-3 record is the second best against all teams under Serratore. His 1998-99 team, his second team at Air Force, was 5-2-1 in the first eight games. However, four of those wins came against Division III competition.
Balanced Scoring Frank Serratore has often said that he likes the competitive depth of his team. Through eight games, the stats prove his statement. Air Force has one player with eight points, four players with six points, one with five and two players with four points. Eight Air Force players are averaging a half a point or more through the first eight games.
Finishing Strong Air Force has gotten off to some slow starts in games this season, but the Falcons are finishing strong. Through the first eight games, Air Force is out-scoring its opponents, 12-5, in the third period and 1-0 in overtime. One interesting stat though, it that well Air Force is out-scoring its opponents in the third period, the Falcons are getting out-shot, 72-68, in the final period.
