Air Force Academy
Calgary (EXH)
Falcons blank Calgary, 5-0, in exhibition hockey game
10/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
by Meredith Yeoman/Air Force Athletic Media Relations
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force Falcons blanked the University of Calgary Dinos, 5-0, in an exhibition college hockey matchup Monday, Oct. 5, at the Academy's Cadet Ice Arena.
Falcon freshman goaltender Billy Christopoulos stopped all 14 shots he faced -- including a point-blank save on a late, shorthanded breakaway by Dinos' forward Chris Collins -- en route to the shutout. The Air Force offense supplied five goals in the victory, though Evan Giesler's tally at 14:24 of the first was the only one the Falcons needed behind Christopoulos' performance in net.
Giesler opened the scoring by redirecting Zach Yoder's strike from the top of the right circle past Calgary netminder Myles Hovdebo, who finished with 19 saves. Air Force added a second tally late in the period after A.J. Reid, despite taking a hard hit on the play, delivered the puck to an open Erik Baskin who fired it home at 16:06.
The Falcons extended their lead at 13:22 of the middle frame. Yoder picked up his second of three assists in the contest on the score, launching a point shot that caught Evan Feno's stick in front of the net, putting Air Force ahead 3-0. His third and final assist came late in the third period and set up a Ben Kucera deflection. Kucera finished with two points (a goal and an assist) on the night.
Air Force added its only power play goal of the night at 3:39 of the third, when Ben Carey sent a shot over Hovdebo's left blocker to give the Falcons a 4-0 advantage. Kucera's late tally came with 1:04 remaining in the contest to cement the 5-0 final.
The Falcons finished 1-for-8 on the power play, and the Dinos went 0-for-5.
Air Force opens its regular season at Cadet Ice Arena Friday, Oct. 9, against No. 5 Denver. The puck is set to drop at 7:05 p.m. MT in the first of a two-night, home-and-away series with the Pioneers.
