Air Force Academy
American International
Hartner nets hat trick in 9-3 win over AIC
2/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Junior Max Hartner netted his first career hat trick as Air Force beat AIC, 9-3, in an Atlantic Hockey Conference game Friday, Feb. 13, at the Academy's Cadet Ice Arena. Air Force snapped its four-game losing skid and improved to 12-17-3 overall and 11-10-2 in the league. AIC fell to 3-21-7 overall and 3-15-7 in the conference.
Air Force jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game. On the fore check, Ryan Doucet won a loose puck and fed Jordan Himley. Himley skated into the slot and his wrister beat Hunter Leisner at the 2:31 mark of the first period. After Tyler Ledford drew a tripping penalty, Air Force capitalized. As the Falcons kept the puck in the zone and cycled from high to low, Erik Baskin tipped in a point shot for his eighth of the season at 4:40. Jonathan Kopacka fed Tyler Rostenkowski at the right point and Rostenkowski collected his first career point on the play. The Falcons took a 3-0 lead as Max Hartner scored his fifth of the season. Ben Carey forced a turnover in the neutral zone and George Michalke III found Hartner out front at 12:18.
Freshman Ben Kucera gave the Falcons a 4-0 lead early in the second period. Baskin and Doucet won the battle along the boards and Kucera snapped a wrister from the left circle for his second of the season. Following the goal, AIC pulled Leisner from the crease and Alex Murray came on in relief. AIC got on the board 16 seconds later when David Gandara scored on the rush with a wrister from the right circle. Baskin's second of the game gave the Falcons a 5-1 lead 8:46. A.J. Reid poked a puck free and Tyler Ledford skated the puck down the left side. Ledford put it right on the tape of Baskin coming down the right wing for his ninth of the season. AIC again answered as Johno May carried the puck into the zone and fed Austin Orszulak on the left side. Orszulak's wrister came at 15:16 as he netted his 20th goal of the season, the third most of any player in the nation.
AIC cut the Falcon lead to 5-3 just 24 seconds into the third period when Orszulak scored his second of the game, 21st of the season, from May and Andrew Debrincat. Air Force quickly answered as George Michalke III scored his first of the season at 1:08. Ben Carey created a turnover in the neutral zone and fed Michalke who sent one through the five hole for a 6-3 lead. Doucet scored his first of the season at 6:07 for a 7-3 lead. Kopacka's shot was saved and Doucet put back the rebound. With 9:54 left in the period, freshman Jacob Caffrey took over in goal for the Yellow Jackets. Hartner dumped a puck in from the neutral zone and Caffrey played it behind the net. However, the puck popped out in front and Hartner tipped it in for an 8-3 lead at 14:28 of the third. Hartner completed the hat trick with 1.4 seconds remaining as he scored on a flurry in front. Rostenkowski and Doucet assisted on the play.
Air Force outshot AIC, 42-14, in the game. AFA was 1-for-2 on the power play. AIC was 0-for-3. Chris Truehl made 11 saves for the Falcons. Leisner started for the Yellow Jackets and made 18 saves, while allowing four goals in 26 minutes. Murray made 13 saves in 24 minutes while Caffrey made two saves and allowed two goals.
"We wanted to play in the offensive zone a lot tonight with all the injuries we have on defense," head coach Frank Serratore said. "We challenged our forwards and they played well. It was really nice to get some secondary scoring tonight. It was a total team effort. I was happy for Max to get the hat trick. He is a guy that goes into those tough areas and scores his goals from just a couple feet out. It is tough to get a hat trick in hockey these days. This was a step in the right direction for us."
Air Force and AIC conclude the two-game league series, Saturday, Feb. 14, at 4:05 pm MT at the Cadet Ice Arena
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