Air Force Academy
Yale
No. 11 Air Force falls at Yale, 3-2
1/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Jan. 4, 2009
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Yale scored two power play goals, including the game winner with less than seven minutes left, as the Bulldogs defeated No. 11 Air Force, 3-2, in a non-conference college hockey game Sunday, Jan. 4, at Ingalls Rink in New Haven, Conn.
Air Force fell to 15-4-1 overall while Yale improved to 9-4.
The Falcons got on the board first when Jacques Lamoureux scored his 16th of the season on a rebound at 11:34 of the first period. Michael Mayra took a shot from the point that was saved, but Lamouruex put back the rebound for his third goal in the last two games. Brent Olson also assisted on the play.
Late in the second period, defenseman Greg Flynn was called for a five-minute major cross checking penalty and received a game misconduct. One minute into the power play, Mike Matczak took a shot from the point that was redirected by Brian O'Neill and got past Andrew Volkening to tie the game at 1-1.
Early in the third period, Yale scored on flurry in front of Volkening and Sean Backman scored at the 4:11 mark. Air Force came back to tie the game at the 9:31 mark on the power play. Jeff Hajner made a pass low on the goal line to Lamoureux on the right side. Lamoureux's shot from low on the right side went off of the goaltender for his second of the game. Mike Phillipich also assisted on the play. Then with 6:38 remaining, Bulldog winger Denny Kearney scored the game winner on a centering pass right in front of the net.
"Tonight was a tough task", head coach Frank Serratore said. "We played last night and they have not played for some time. But, I don't understand how a team can have more energy in the final 10 minutes than they can in the first 50 minutes. Yale had the jump on us in the first two periods and we didn't even move our legs well enough to draw a penalty. Then in the third period, in the final 10 minutes, we picked it up. We are in an ugly cycle right now. We are waiting for things to happen instead of making things happen. Volkening was great tonight. We dug ourselves in a hole again and it was too little too late."
Yale outshot Air Force, 36-31, in the game, but Air Force had an 18-10 advantage in the third period. Air Force was 1-for-2 on the power play while Yale was 2-for-6. Volkening made 33 saves while Bulldog Ryan Rondeau made 29.
Air Force is now off until Jan 16-17 when Canisius comes to the Cadet Ice Arena for a two-game Atlantic Hockey Association series. --30--
