Air Force Academy
American International
Falcons sweep AIC with 5-1 win
2/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 24, 2007
Box Score in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Air Force ended the regular season with a 5-1 win over AIC (American International College) in an Atlantic Hockey Association game Saturday night, Feb. 24, at the Olympia Ice Center in Springfield, Mass. The games were the final regular-season games for both teams
AFA finished the regular season with a 16-15-5 overall record and a 13-10-5 mark in the league. AIC finished 7-24-1 overall and 7-20-1 in the AHA. The Falcons have now won three straight games and are off until March 10 in the AHA quarterfinals at the Cadet Ice Arena.
AIC opened the scoring at the 6:38 mark when Mark Pavili scored from Mike McMullen and Mark Fuqua on a two-on-one rush. With 3:01 remaining in the period, AFA tied the game at 1-1. Andrew Ramsey fed Eric Ehn from behind the net and Ehn scored his 23rd goal of the season.
The point was Ehn's 44th of the season in conference games to set a new Atlantic Hockey Association record. The previous of record of 43 was set last season by Mercyhurst's Ben Cottreau and Holy Cross' Tyler McGregor.
Air Force scored two goals in the second period for a 3-1 lead after the first 40 minutes. Billy Devoney's fourth of the season, and his first since Nov. 26, gave AFA a 2-1 lead. Four Falcons were battling at the top of the crease and Devoney slid one under the pads of AIC goalie Tom Fenton at the 10:55 mark. With 1:28 left in the second period and the teams skating 4-on-4, AFA scored for a 3-1 lead. Mike Phillipich skated the puck down the right wing and waited for the third man to join the rush down the slot. His pass was right on the tape of Matt Charbonneau who beat Fenton to the far side.
The Falcons scored twice in the third period as Charbonneau and Ehn both netted their second of the game. Charbonneau scored a the 6:09 mark when Jay Medenwaldt made a pass from behind the met to Charbonneau out front and the junior defenseman netted his third of the season. With 5:08 remaining, Ehn scored his 24th goal of the season from Charbonneau and Ramsey.
"This was a blue-collar win for us tonight," head coach Frank Serratore said. "I like the way we scored our goals, from right in front of the net. I like the way Brian Reese played. He was responsible for two of our goals with his hard work in front of the net. We didn't have a weak link in our chain tonight."
With two points in the game, Ehn remained the nation's leading scorer with 24 goals, 36 assists and 60 points. He is the first Falcon to score 60 points in a season since Bob Sajevic had 64 in 1979-80.
Air Force is off next week, but will return to action with a home game in the AHA quarterfinals, March 10, at the Academy. The Falcons are the No. 4 seed in the tournament and will face No. 5 seed Holy Cross at 7:05 p.m. at the Cadet Ice Arena.
--30--
