Air Force Academy
AHC Quarterfinals vs. Canisius
Falcons take game one with 4-1 win over Canisius
3/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
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By Meredith Yeoman
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Freshman winger Evan Giesler finished with two goals on the night, including the game-winner at 7:21 of the second period, as the second-seeded Air Force Falcons topped the seventh-seeded Canisius Golden Griffins, 4-1, in an Atlantic Hockey Conference playoff game Friday, March 11, at the Academy's Cadet Ice Arena.
Air Force jumped out to a 4-0 lead on goals by senior captain Ben Carey, Giesler and freshman winger Kyle Haak, but Giesler's net-front tip-in early in the second proved the difference in the contest. With two tallies in the frame, the Naperville, Ill., native led the Falcons' three-goal, second-period charge, which also featured a goal and two assists from linemate Haak.
Air Force then turned to its defense and freshman netminder Shane Starrett to close the door late. Starrett turned aside 22 in the contest, including a point-blank save on a Dylan McLaughlin breakaway late in the second.
The Falcons take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three, home series and will look to close out the Griffins Saturday, March 12 at 7:05 p.m. MT.
Carey opened the scoring in the contest at 5:32 of the first period after junior forward Jordan Himley scooped up a turnover at the Falcons' offensive blue line. Himley slipped a pass to Max Hartner, and the senior winger carried the puck into the zone before feeding his fellow co-captain who buried it from the high slot.
Carey then assisted on Giesler's game-winner, skating the puck out of the left corner and rifling a shot from along the half wall that struck the blade of Giesler's stick on its way to the net. The redirection slipped between Griffs' goaltender Simon Hofley's legs and in to pull the Falcons ahead, 2-0.
Midway through the second frame, junior defenseman Johnny Hrabovsky stole the puck in the neutral zone and skated it down the left side of the ice before feeding Haak, who one-timed it from the high slot to extend the Air Force advantage.
With under five minutes to play in the period, sophomore defenseman Dylan Abood fired a shot from the right circle that caught Haak in front of the net. The puck bounced through the goal crease to a wide-open Giesler who teed up the backdoor shot.
Canisius' only goal of the night came on an early third-period power play opportunity. Shane Conacher threaded a cross-ice pass that found Ralph Cuddemi in the left circle, and the Griffins' senior captain wristed home his 20th of the year.
"It was great to get the first game," head coach Frank Serratore said. "Nothing but good things to talk about tonight. But we know that Canisius is a dangerous animal. They lost the first game last week and faced elimination twice. They won the next two and won the series. We know there will be nothing easy about tomorrow night's game."
Air Force (19-11-5 overall) outshot Canisius 37-23 on the night and 13-0 through the opening 11 minutes of play. Hofley finished 33-of-37, taking the loss in net for the Griffs. Canisius (12-21-5 overall) was 1-for-4 on the power play, while Air Force did not convert in as many attempts.
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