Air Force Academy
Arizona State
Falcons beat Arizona State, 4-3
10/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
GLENDALE, Ariz. - Air Force's top line scored two goals, including the game-winner by Matt Serratore in a 4-3 win over Arizona State in a non-conference college hockey game, Friday, Oct. 14, at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
Air Force, ranked 18th in the nation, opened the scoring at the 9:55 mark of the first period on Ben Kucera's third of the season. Tyler Ledford won a faceoff in the offensive zone and Phil Boje put a shot on net. Kucera cleaned up the rebound for a 1-0 lead. ASU tied the game on Tyler Busch's third of the season. Air Force turned the puck over at its own blue line and Busch's shot was saved. ASU tracked down the loose puck behind the net and sent it back out front where Busch tied the game. Two minutes later, Evan Giesler threaded a pass through traffic to spring Boje on a breakaway. Boje skated down the left side and snapped a wrister past Robert Levin to a 2-1 lead at 17:36 of the first.
Air Force opened the second period with an early goal by Kyle Haak. In a 4-on-4 situation, after a flurry in front, the puck got behind the ASU goaltender and Haak tapped it in for a 3-1 lead at 3:51. The Sun Devils cut the Falcons lead to 3-2 at 8:25 when Steenn Pasichnuk scored on the rush.
The Falcons again took a two-goal lead early in the third period as Matt Serratore put back a rebound at 2:59. Kucera and Tyler Ledford assisted on the goal. Sun Devil Nicholas Gushue cut the Falcon lead to 4-3 when he sent a slap shot from the top of the right circle, but that was as close as ASU would get.
Air Force outshot ASU, 36-30, in the game. The Falcons were 0-for-6 on the power play while ASU as 0-for-3. Shane Starrett made 27 saves for the Falcons.
"Arizona State works and competes really hard," head coach Frank Serratore said. "We still have a long way to go to find some consistency. Give our guys credit for finding a way to get it done. We never trailed, but we never pulled away either. It's great that we are finding a way to win close games. Teams either find a way to win close games or lose them and we are gaining some confidence in winning close games. We relied on Shane a little too much again tonight and again he was the difference in the game."
The Falcons and Sun Devils conclude the two-game series on Sunday, Oct. 16, at 2:35 p.m. (3:35 pm Colorado Time). Sunday's game will be broadcast in Colorado Springs on Xtra Sports 1300 and will also be televised on the PAC-12 Network.
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