Falcon Soccer Slated for Two Conference Matches This Weekend
10/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Full Notes in PDF 
Air Force vs. Utah Valley
Friday, Oct. 14, 7:00 p.m. MT
Cadet Soccer Stadium | USAFA, Colo.
Watch Live | Live Stats
Air Force vs. CSU Bakersfield
Sunday, Oct. 16, 1:00 p.m. MT
Cadet Soccer Stadium | USAFA, Colo.
Watch Live | Live Stats
Falcons at Home This Week...
Air Force looks to defend Cadet Soccer Stadium, where they are undefeated this season, in two conference match ups over the weekend. The Falcons will host Utah Valley on Fri., Oct. 14, at 7:00 p.m., and CSU Bakersfield, Sun., Oct. 16 at 1:00 p.m. Live streams and live stats will be provided for both matches. Fans can access the stream and live stats by going to GoAirForceFalcons.com and clicking the links in the schedule drop down.
The Series...
Friday's match between the Wolverines and Falcons will mark the third meeting between the programs. Utah Valley leads the series, 2-0. The match on Oct. 14 will mark the second meeting at Cadet Soccer Stadium. In the two-match series, Utah Valley has logged four points while Air Force tallied two. Both matches ended with 2-1 results in regulation.
Sunday's match against CSU Bakersfield marks the 10th meeting between the programs. The series is tied at four with one draw. The last time the teams played, the Roadrunners topped the Falcons, 2-1, in Bakersfield, Calif. Air Force is 3-0 against CSUB while playing at Cadet Soccer Stadium. In all matches combined, the Falcons outscore the `Runners, 15-12; in all matches played at home, the Falcons outscore the `Runners, 8-4. When playing in overtime, the teams are even at 1-1-1.
Last Weekend...
Air Force notched their third straight win on the road to remain perfect in conference following a 1-0 victory over Grand Canyon, Oct. 8, in Phoenix, Ariz. Sophomore midfielder Tucker Bone scored the game winning goal in the 72nd minute, while junior goalkeeper John Wendt made two remarkable saves against the Lopes' leading scorer to hold GCU at nil.
Air Force Breaks into College Soccer News Top 30...
The Falcons made their debut appearance in College Soccer News' Top 30 teams for the week ending Oct. 9. The addition to the polls marks the Falcons' first nationally ranked recognition of the season. Utah Valley, who is ranked No. 23 in the same poll, is the only other WAC team in the CSN poll along with Air Force.
Repping in the RPI...
In the wake of their third conference win on the road, Air Force continued to fly up the rankings, using a win at GCU to move to 41st in this week's rankings as they look to keep themselves on the watch list for possible selection to the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Last week, Air Force was at No. 55 in the RPI; 24 spots higher than the previous week. Utah Valley fell five spots in the RPI rankings, still sitting at a solid position of 20.
NSCAA NCAA Division I Men's Western Region Top 10 Rankings...
Air Force moved up to fifth for the second time this season in the NSCAA NCAA Division I Men's Western region top 10 rankings; trading places with Omaha who overtook them in last week's poll. The Falcons first broke into the polls at No. 7, in week three (Sept. 13). In September of 2015 the Falcons were ranked as high as No. 6. In 2014 they held the No. 1 spot in the western region for a week.
Air Force is Flying High...
Air Force is playing amongst the nation's best as they are ranked second and fourth in the nation in total goals (29) and total points (85), respectively; marks that place them atop of the WAC. Florida Gulf Coast leads the NCAA with 35 goals and 98 points. Air Force leads the WAC in assists with 27; sixth most in the nation and only five assists short of national frontrunner, Maryland. The Falcons also lead the WAC in points per game (7.08, fourth best in nation), scoring offense (2.42, fourth best in nation), assists per game (2.25, eighth best in nation) and win-lost-tied percentage (0.750, 15th best in nation).
The Falcons boast second in the conference in shots on goal per game (6.67) and save percentage (4.17). They are third in the conference in shots per game (11.67) and shutout percentage (0.33).
The Falcons displayed their ability to win road games with seven goals over three conference foes on the road over the past two weekends. In the 1-0 shutout over GCU, the Falcons held the Lopes' top three leading scorers to nil in front of a home crowd exceeding 3,800 fans. Air Force put up a two-goal shutout over Houston Baptist; a pitch they have had trouble winning on in the past. In the match against Incarnate Word, the Falcons logged four goals; their fourth four-goals plus performance this season.
Dewing is Doing the Job...
Sophomore forward Austin Dewing logged his third two-goal match against Houston Baptist; helping the Falcons break a three-game winning drought on Houston Baptist's pitch and facilitating the second conference win on the road.
Dewing's three game-winning goals rank him at 13th in the nation in game winners, while his five assists make him the conference frontrunner; a mark that also places him at 27th in the nation. The Colorado Springs native's 17 points, six goals, 0.50 goals per game and 1.42 points per game average places him atop all of the WAC footballers in those respective categories. He is ranked 25th and 40th in the nation in total points and total goals, respectively. He is second in the WAC with 0.42 assists per game; a mark high enough for 47th in the nation.
Dewing was tabbed with the WAC Offensive Player of the Week honor on Sept. 26, as he led the Falcons' charge scoring as many goals as Gonzaga had allowed in their previous two matches combined. He leads the Falcons in shots, assists, goals, game-winning goals and points.
Axhoj, Bone and Parker - A Force to be Reckoned With...
Tucker Axhoj, Tucker Bone and Klint Parker combine for 32 points, 11 goals, 10 assists and three game winners. The trio has taken 56 shots this season with 31 on goal.
Sophomore midfielder Bone ranks fifth in conference in goals (4) and points (11), and was credited with his second game winner in the match against GCU. The Granite Bay, Calif., native was announced to TopDrawerSoccer.com's Men's Team of the Week, Sept. 12-18, as he contributed assists in both of Air Force's wins against St. Mary's and San Francisco.
Senior midfielder Axhoj leads the team in career assists and points with eight and 22, respectively. Sophomore defender Parker is second on the team in points and goals with 11 and four, respectively.
Duley and Pujats on Lockdown Duty...
Team captain Cameron Duley and Trey Pujats are linchpin defenders in the Falcon defense. The duo has played an integral role in marking the opponent's top scorers; contributing to Air Force outscoring their opponents, 29-15, this season.
This past weekend, Duley was tasked with marking GCU's leading scorer Niki Jackson, who has two hat-trick performances this season; he was held to two shots on goal and no goals under Duley's watch.
Pujats, a junior midfielder from Keller, Tex., marked the leading scorer for Gonzaga and held him to zero shots as the Falcons earned a 4-1 win at home. He was credited as the WAC's Defensive Player of the Week for Sept. 19-25.
Life Between the Pipes...
Sylvania, Ohio, native John Wendt leads the conference in save percentage (0.772). He has 44 total saves for third most in conference and averages 4.40 saves per game, making him fifth in conference in saves per game. He is ranked 47th in the nation in both aforementioned categories. Wendt was credited with Player of the Game honors in the shutout against GCU. Wendt made two remarkable saves against GCU's leading scorer Niki Jackson, in free kick and penalty kick opportunities, to cease the Lopes' momentum and ultimately hold them to nil.
Senior goalkeeper Jake Schenk is undefeated in the box. He's logged two shutouts and has only allowed two goals in 225 minutes between the pipes. Schenk was dubbed the WAC's Defensive Player of the Week, Sept. 12. The Flemington, N.J., native has logged six saves hand has a .750 save percentage.
