Air Force Academy
Colorado College
Third-ranked CC holds off Air Force, 2-1
1/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Jan. 19, 2008
U.S.A.F. ACADEMY, Colo. - Third-ranked Colorado College scored two power-play goals and then held off Air Force for a 2-1 win in a non-conference college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 19, at the Colorado Springs World Arena.
Air Force fell to 12-7-4 overall while No. 3 CC improved to 18-6 overall. The Falcons split the weekend series with two of the top four teams in the nation. AFA defeated fourth-ranked Denver, 5-2, on Friday. The 2-1 loss marked the second straight year Air Force lost to Colorado College by the same score.
Colorado College scored first in the game on the power play. At the 8:14 mark of the opening period, Bill Sweatt scored on a rebound from Mike Testwuide and Andreas Vlassopoulos. The Tigers out-shot Air Force, 16-4, in the first period, but Falcon goalie Andrew Volkening made 15 saves.
Play in the second period was much more even as AFA outshot CC, 8-5. However, the Tigers capitalized on a 5-on-3 opportunity midway through the period. CC had 96 seconds of a two-man advantage and lit the lamp with just three seconds left when Steve Schultz scored on a flurry in front from Addison DeBoer and Brian Connelly.
Air Force had plenty of chances in the third period, outshooting CC, 14-10. The Falcons got on the board midway through the period when freshman Scott Kozlak scored on a flurry in front. Sean Bertsch and Blake Page were behind the net and Kozlak scored his sixth of the season. With 51 seconds left in the period, the Falcons pulled Volkening from the net and put on the extra skater. The Falcons kept the puck in the zone nearly the entire time. AFA fired several pucks toward the net, but could not get one past Bachman
CC outshot Air Force, 31-26, in the game. Volkening made 29 saves for the Falcons while Richard Bachman made 25 for the Tigers. CC was 2-for-5 on the power play, including a 5-on-3 goal. AFA was 0-for-4.
"I was impressed with how CC came out in the first period," head coach Frank Serratore said. "They expended a lot of energy in that first period. They tried to put us away in the first period. Volkening did what all great goalies do, he gave us a chance to win. When he only gives up two goals, we have to find a way to get it done."
Air Force returns to Atlantic Hockey Association action next weekend when the Falcons travel to West Point, N.Y., for a two-game series the Army Black Knights. Air Force and Army play on Friday, Jan. 25 at 8:05 pm EST and then on Sunday, Jan. 27 at 4:05 pm EST. Friday's game will be televised live on CSTV while Sunday's game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
--30--
