Air Force opens season at Bemidji State
10/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 7, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
This Week * Friday-Saturday, Oct. 9-10, at Bemidji State; John Glas Fieldhouse in Bemidji, Minn. * Faceoff is 7:35 CT on Friday and 7:05 CT on Saturday
Radio/Internet * Every Air Force hockey game will be broadcast on the internet at GoAirForceFalcons.com * Every Air Force hockey game will be broadcast in Colorado Springs on AM 1300 KCSF. * Every AHA game and all Air Force home games will be video streamed with audio by the B2 Network on a subscription basis. For more information, please go to AtlanticHockeyOnline.com * The Bemidji State series will be available on the B2 network at www.B2TV.com
Clash of the Titans * On March 27, 2009, there were eight teams left in the NCAA Tournament * Two of those teams meet this weekend as Air Force advanced to the Elite Eight while Bemidji State went to the Frozen Four * Both were the regular-season and conference tournament champions and both are picked to win their league this year
First Home Series * Air Force's first home series is Oct. 16-17 against Alabama-Huntsville at 7:05 p.m. each night.
Looking Back * 28-11-2 overall record and tied for the regular-season championship with RIT with 42 points (20-6-2 AHA) * As the No. 1 seed in the tournament, AFA won its third straight AHA Tournament championship, earning its third straight NCAA berth by defeating Bentley and Mercyhurst in the AHA Final Four. Air Force earned its first ever NCAA Tournament win with a 2-0 victory over third-ranked Michigan. The season came to an end with 3-2 double overtime loss to 10th-ranked Vermont in the regional final.
Preseason Atlantic Hockey Poll * Air Force was picked to win the AHA by the league's coaches for the second straight year * Air Force received eight first-place votes and 80 points * Mercyhurst received the other two first-place votes and was second; RIT was third followed by Holy Cross.
Preseason National Poll * Air Force was among the other receiving votes in the preseason USA Today/ USA Hockey national poll. * The Falcons are 19th in the USCHO/CBS College Sports preseason poll * Air Force is 14th in the INCH power rankings * Air Force finished last season ranked 15th in the USA Today poll and 18th in the USCHO poll and * Bemidji State was among the others receiving votes in the USCHO/CBS College Sports and the USA Today/USA Hockey polls and is 20th in the INCH power rankings
The Coaches * Air Force coach Frank Serratore (Bemidji State, 1982) is in his 13th season as the head coach of Air Force. * He has led the Falcons to three straight conference championships and NCAA Tournament berths. * Winningest coach in the history of Air Force hockey with a record of 198-212-32 (13th year at AFA) and a career mark of 247-304-41 (17th year). * Bemidji State coach Tom Serratore (Bemidji State, 1987) is in his ninth season as the head coach at Bemidji State with a school and overall record of 140-118-38
Battle of the Brothers * BSU coach Tom Serratore is the younger brother of AFA coach Frank Serratore * The pair coached against each other for five seasons in the College Hockey America conference from 2001-06. * Tom has had the upper hand in the series, holding an 18-4-2 lead over his older brother since 2001-02
Series with Bemidji State * Bemidji State holds a 23-8-2 lead in the series that began in 1997 when BSU was a Division II team. * Both teams were charter members of the CHA in 1999 and from 1999-00 to 2005-06 (AFA's last season in the CHA) * Bemidji State held a 21-4-2 series lead as conference opponents. * AFA swept Bemidji State last season, 6-2 and 6-0, at the Cadet Ice Arena * AFA is 1-13-2 against the Beavers in Bemidji * The lone win was a 5-4 overtime victory in 2001
Last Year vs. Bemidji State * Air Force swept Bemidji State, 6-2 and 6-0, at USAFA * In the first game, AFA broke open a 3-2 game in third period with three goals * Lamoureux and Josh Frider (graduated) each scored twice * In the second game, Andrew Volkening stopped all 15 shots he faced. * Greg Flynn (graduated) had two goals; Lamoureux three points * AFA out-shot BSU, 69-33, in the series.
Scouting the Beavers * Two-time CHA regular-season champion and winners of the 2009 CHA Tournament * Won the NCAA Midwest Regional last season with wins over Notre Dame (5-1) and Cornell (4-1) to advance to the NCAA Frozen Four. * Season ended with a 4-1 loss to Miami in national semifinals * 20-16-1 last season * Picked to win the CHA this season * Will be a member of the WCHA in 2010-11 * Junior forward Matt Read is the top returning scorer with 15 goals and 40 points (led the team last season) * Last season's top goaltender, Matt Dalton, signed an NHL contract
Season Openers * Air Force is 19-19-3 overall in season openers. The Falcons are 12-12-1 when opening the season on the road. * Last season, Air Force opened the season on the road and swept the two-game series at Sacred Heart * AFA opens the season on the road for the second straight year and the sixth time in the last eight years * The Falcons are 5-5-2 in season openers under Frank Serratore.
Exhibition Win over Calgary * Under Frank Serratore, Air Force is 8-0-2 in exhibition games played at the Academy * Air Force defeated the University of Calgary on Monday, Oct. 5, 3-1, at the Academy * Jacques Lamoureux scored two goals and Derrick Burnett had two assists * Andrew Volkening made 23 saves in the game
Serratore Closing in on #200 * Head coach Frank Serratore is already the winningest coach in Air Force hockey history * He enters the 2009-10 season with a 198-212-32 record (12 years) at Air Force and a career record of 247-304-41 in 16 years as a college coach
Preseason All-Americans * Forward Jacques Lamoureux was named a first-team preaseason All-American by INCH and a second-team preseason All-American by College Hockey News * Goaltender Andrew Volkening was a third-team preseason All-American by INCH
The Air Force -- Not the Bus Force * Over the last three years, Air Force has been one of the best road teams in the nation. * The Falcons set a school record with 12 road/neutral victories and three road sweeps last season. * Since the 2006-07 season, Air Force has won 68 games (19 in 2006-07, 21 in 2007-08 and 28 last season) * 32 wins have come on the road and 36 at home. * Since the beginning of the 2006-07 season, Air Force is 32-26-4 on the road. AFA was 10-10-2 in 2006-07, 10-9-1 in 2007-08 and 12-6-2 last season.
