Falcon Lacrosse at the Pioneer Face-Off Classic
2/23/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Full Notes in PDF 
PIONEER FACE-OFF CLASSIC
Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium
University of Denver | Denver, CO
vs. CANISIUS (1-0)
Saturday, Feb. 25, 11:00 a.m. MT
| Lacrosse Talk Radio Live
vs. CLEVELAND STATE (0-2)
Sunday, Feb. 26, 11:00 a.m. MT
| Lacrosse Talk Radio Live
THIS WEEK: Air Force returns to Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, Denver, Colo., to compete in the Pioneer Face-Off Classic, hosted by the University of Denver. The Falcons will square off with Canisius, Sat., Feb. 25, at 11:00 a.m. MT. On Sunday, Air Force will take on Cleveland State at 11:00 p.m. MT.
TUNE IN: Live updates will be provided by GameTracker. Dan Matthews will be providing commentary live from Peter Barton Stadium. Tune in via Lacrosse Talk Radio. Fans can access the live stats link and radio listen link by going to GoAirForceFalcons.com, and clicking the live tracking/listen live links in the schedule dropdown.
UP NEXT: Air Force hits the road to take on Boston University for the first time in program history. The Falcons and Terriers will square off at Nickerson Field at 12:00 p.m. ET, in Boston, Mass.
LAST TIME THEY MET: Air Force and Canisius last met in 2015, where then-freshman Chris Walsch scored four goals to lead the Falcons to a 13-6 win over the Golden Griffons, Feb. 22, at the Air Force Academy's Holaday Athletic Center. Air Force leads Canisius in the four-game series, 3-1. The teams will meet for the fifth time in program history, and for the third time on neutral ground. Cleveland State enters its inaugural year of division I lacrosse in 2017.
QUICK LOOK AT CANISIUS: Canisius will take Peter Barton Field under the guidance of head coach Randy Mearns. Mearns is now in his 19th season leading the Canisius lacrosse program. Mearns' career at Canisius is highlighted by leading the Griffs to two MAAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2008 and 2012.
Canisius will meet Air Force with a 1-0 record, with their win coming over Dartmouth, Feb. 18. Junior attacker, Connor Kearnan, leads the Golden Griffons with nine points from four goals and five assists. Mario Caito and Steve Coss also have two goals apiece. In goal, Liam Ganzhorn has a .640 save percentage from 14 saves while allowing eight goals in their opening game.
CLEVELAND STATE AT A GLANCE: Cleveland State will face off against Air Force under the guidance of head coach Dylan Sheridan, who was named the inaugural head coach of the Viking's lacrosse program on June 30, 2015. Sheridan comes to CSU after spending last year as the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Princeton. Sheridan helped lead the Tigers to a share of the regular season Ivy League title. Prior to arriving at Princeton, Sheridan spent four years at the University of Denver, helping the Pioneers to Final Four appearances in 2011, 2013 and 2014.
The Vikings are 0-2 on the season thus far, losing to Michigan in their program opener and No. 15 Duke, last week. The Vikings are led by a quartet of freshmen with four points apiece. Danny Tessler and Jake Lewis have three goals and an assist apiece, while Tristen Copeland and Jack Frickelton have two goals and two assists apiece. Caleb Espinoza, a freshman goalkeeper from Colorado Springs, has 20 saves and 27 goals allowed for a .430 save percentage this season.
LAST WEEKEND: Air Force lacrosse fell to Marist, 10-4, in their 2017 home opener, Saturday, Feb. 18, at Falcon Stadium. The Falcons, now 1-2 on the season, had their lowest scoring game since losing to VMI, 6-4, in 2014.
A LOOK AT AIR FORCE: Air Force will return to the Face-Off Classic under the guidance of head coach Eric Seremet. Seremet has played a pair of matches at the Face-Off Classic every season since taking the reins in 2009; he is 9-7 at the event. Seremet has led the Falcons to two conference championships in the last three seasons, winning USILA Division I Coach of the Year honors in 2014 and claiming conference Coach of the Year honors in 2014 and 2016.
Junior attackers Chris Walsch and Nick Hruby lead Air Force with 10 and nine points, respectively. Walsch, a junior attacker from Finksburg, Md., has registered 10 points from five goals and five assists. Hruby leads the team with seven goals and has two assists to his credit. The Coppell, Texas, native leads the SoCon with two individual man-up goals. Junior attacker Andrew Tien has five goals and an assist on the season. Walsch, Hruby and Tien have scored goals in every game this season; they combine for 17 of the team's 21 goals.
Freshman goalkeeper Paxton Boyer, who helped upend No. 10 Duke by allowing no goals in the final seven minutes of action, has 29 saves on the season. He has a .460 save percentage against 63 shots on goal this season.
