Falcons idle until AHA Quarterfinals, March 11-13
3/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 1, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
This Week Air Force (16-11-6 overall and 14-7-6 in the AHA) is off this weekend. Air Force will host a best of three AHA quarterfinal series, March 11-12 and 13 if necessary at Cadet Ice Arena. Faceoff is at 7:05 p.m. each night. Tickets are on sale at www.GoAirForceFalcons.com or by calling 1-800-666-8723. The Falcons finished second in the AHA regular season, the team's; first ever second-place finish. In five seasons in the league, Air Force has finished fifth in 2007, third in 2008, first in 2009 and third in 2010.
Four in a Row Air Force is on a current four-game winning streak, the longest of season The winning streak is the third longest in the nation (Michigan six, North Dakota five) Air Force is five games over .500 for the first time this season.
Winning Season Clinched At 16-11-6 overall, the Falcons have clinched a winning season for the fifth consecutive year, tying the school record. Air Force also had five straight winning seasons from 1985-86 to 1989-90 AFA's 90 wins over the last five years are the second most in school history. The Falcons had 93 wins from 1972-76
Best Hockey at Right Time Over the past five seasons, Air Force has played its best hockey at the right time of year From February 15 through the end of the season, Air Force is a combined 29-9-1 2006-07: Feb. 15-28: 3-1; March 1-31: 3-1 2007-08: Feb. 15-28: 2-0-1; March 1-31: 5-1 2008-09: Feb. 15-28: 3-1; March 1-31: 5-2 2009-10: Feb. 15-28: 2-2; March 1-31: 2-1 2010-11: Feb. 15-28: 4-0: March 1-31: 0-0.
The Playoff Picture RIT and Air Force earned byes from the west pod. Holy Cross (No. 3 overall) and UConn (No. 6 overall) earned byes from the east pod. Niagara will host Canisius; Robert Morris will host Mercyhurst in a one-game playoff on March 5. Army will host AIC; Bentley will host Sacred Heart in a one-game playoff on March 5. The four winners from the games on March 5th will join the four teams that earned byes to make up the eight teams in the quarterfinals. The eight teams will be reseeded based on the final regular season standings. Air Force is the No. 2 overall seed and will host the second lowest remaining seed, March 11-13, at Cadet Ice Arena. The four winners from the quarterfinal series will travel to Rochester, N.Y., to meet in the AHA Final Four, March 18-19. The winner from the single-elimination format will earn the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
AFA in the AHA Playoffs Air Force joined Atlantic Hockey for the 2006-07 season and won three straight tournament championships The Falcons also won the 2008-09 regular season title AFA is 13-2 all-time in the AHA playoffs The only losses came last season, a 2-1 loss to Sacred Heart in the semifinals in Rochester, N.Y. and 4-1 to Sacred Heart in game two of the quarterfinals. AFA won the series the next night.
