Sunday, October 6
USAFA, Colo
5:05 PM MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Trinity Western University (EXH)
Air Force opens season Oct. 6 with exhibition
10/3/2019 8:33:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
The Falcons take on Trinity Western at 5:05 pm at Cadet Ice Arena
Season Opener: Air Force (0-0) opens the 2019-20 season with an exhibition game against Trinity Western University (Langley City, B.C.), Sunday, Oct. 6, at 5:05 pm MT at the Cadet Ice Arena.
Regular-Season Opener: Air Force (0-0) opens the 2019-20 regular-season at ninth-ranked Notre Dame, Friday and Sunday, Oct. 11 and Oct. 13 in South Bend, Ind. The Friday faceoff is at 7:05 pm ET while the Sunday game will begin at 3:05 pm ET. The Irish (23-14-3 last season) won the Big Ten tournament title last season and advanced to the NCAA Northeast Regional final, before falling to UMass.
Looking Back: Air Force closed out the 2018-19 season with a 16-15-5 overall record and a 14-10-4 mark in Atlantic Hockey. Air Force placed third in the league and hosted sixth-seeded Niagara in a best-of-three quarterfinal series, at Cadet Ice Arena. Niagara swept the series to advance to the AHA Final Four.
2018-19 Notes:
* Air Force led the nation in penalty kill at 88.9 percent, killing 136 of 153 opponent power plays. The 88.9 percentage is the second best in school history. Air Force led the nation in 2016-17 with a school record 89.7.
* Air Force was 9-7-3 at home last season. The Falcons had a seven-game home unbeaten streak, tied as the longest in the nation at the time.
* Air Force led Atlantic Hockey and ranked fourth in the nation in faceoff winning percentage at 54.8.
New Faces: This season's freshman class (12) ties as the largest under head coach Frank Serratore. The class of 2023 includes defensemen Andrew Kruse. Luke Rowe, Brandon Koch and Dalton Weigel; forwards Blake Bride, Keenen Lund, Bennett Norlin, Ty Pochipinski, Luke Manning, Willie Reim and Mitch Walinski and goalie Austin Park. The freshmen class of 2015-16, the graduating class of 2019, also had 12 members. The class was comprised of Dan Bailey, Matt Serratore, Evan Giesler, Kyle Haak, Evan Feno,Matt Koch, Evan Okeley (24 games), Matt Perry (2 games), Jake Ericksen (0 games), Zach Yoder (29 games), and two goalies Billy Christopoulos and Shane Starrett (70 games). That class, came in after a 16-21-4 season in 2014-15 and helped lead the team to 20 wins in 2015-16. That team also reached the semifinals of the AHA Tournament, before falling to RIT in overtime. They went on to win to two AHA Championships, earn two NCAA victories and two trips to the NCAA Elite Eight. They won 86 games, tying the school record, and posted a winning season in each of their four years.
Returning Numbers: Air Force returns 44 goals scored from last season, the second fewest in Atlantic Hockey (49 percent of last season's total of 96). the 44 returning goals are also the sixth fewest in the nation. Mercyhurst has the fewest returning in the AHA with 40. AIC, a team that won the league tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, has the most at 124 (96 percent of last season's league-leading 129 goals. Niagara is second with 110 goals returning, 87 percent of last season's total. Air Force is also one of two teams in the conference that does not return a starting goaltender (Robert Morris is the other).
Who's Gone: The senior class of Dan Bailey, Billy Christopoulos, Evan Feno, Evan Giesler, Kyle Haak, Matt Koch and Matt Serratore led the Falcons to two AHC Championships, two NCAA wins and trips to the NCAA Elite Eight and won 86 games, tying the school record set by the Class of 2018. Senior Evan Giesler tied the school record by playing in 156 career games. He tied the school record set by Matt Fairchild (2007-10), Chad Demers (2012-15) and Cole Gunner (2012-15). Demers and Gunner played in every game in their career. Giesler was one of seven Falcons to play in 100 or more games: Haak (141), Koch (131), Bailey (124), Serratore (111), Tomlak (109), Feno (108).
Regular-Season Opener: Air Force (0-0) opens the 2019-20 regular-season at ninth-ranked Notre Dame, Friday and Sunday, Oct. 11 and Oct. 13 in South Bend, Ind. The Friday faceoff is at 7:05 pm ET while the Sunday game will begin at 3:05 pm ET. The Irish (23-14-3 last season) won the Big Ten tournament title last season and advanced to the NCAA Northeast Regional final, before falling to UMass.
Looking Back: Air Force closed out the 2018-19 season with a 16-15-5 overall record and a 14-10-4 mark in Atlantic Hockey. Air Force placed third in the league and hosted sixth-seeded Niagara in a best-of-three quarterfinal series, at Cadet Ice Arena. Niagara swept the series to advance to the AHA Final Four.
2018-19 Notes:
* Air Force led the nation in penalty kill at 88.9 percent, killing 136 of 153 opponent power plays. The 88.9 percentage is the second best in school history. Air Force led the nation in 2016-17 with a school record 89.7.
* Air Force was 9-7-3 at home last season. The Falcons had a seven-game home unbeaten streak, tied as the longest in the nation at the time.
* Air Force led Atlantic Hockey and ranked fourth in the nation in faceoff winning percentage at 54.8.
New Faces: This season's freshman class (12) ties as the largest under head coach Frank Serratore. The class of 2023 includes defensemen Andrew Kruse. Luke Rowe, Brandon Koch and Dalton Weigel; forwards Blake Bride, Keenen Lund, Bennett Norlin, Ty Pochipinski, Luke Manning, Willie Reim and Mitch Walinski and goalie Austin Park. The freshmen class of 2015-16, the graduating class of 2019, also had 12 members. The class was comprised of Dan Bailey, Matt Serratore, Evan Giesler, Kyle Haak, Evan Feno,Matt Koch, Evan Okeley (24 games), Matt Perry (2 games), Jake Ericksen (0 games), Zach Yoder (29 games), and two goalies Billy Christopoulos and Shane Starrett (70 games). That class, came in after a 16-21-4 season in 2014-15 and helped lead the team to 20 wins in 2015-16. That team also reached the semifinals of the AHA Tournament, before falling to RIT in overtime. They went on to win to two AHA Championships, earn two NCAA victories and two trips to the NCAA Elite Eight. They won 86 games, tying the school record, and posted a winning season in each of their four years.
Returning Numbers: Air Force returns 44 goals scored from last season, the second fewest in Atlantic Hockey (49 percent of last season's total of 96). the 44 returning goals are also the sixth fewest in the nation. Mercyhurst has the fewest returning in the AHA with 40. AIC, a team that won the league tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, has the most at 124 (96 percent of last season's league-leading 129 goals. Niagara is second with 110 goals returning, 87 percent of last season's total. Air Force is also one of two teams in the conference that does not return a starting goaltender (Robert Morris is the other).
Who's Gone: The senior class of Dan Bailey, Billy Christopoulos, Evan Feno, Evan Giesler, Kyle Haak, Matt Koch and Matt Serratore led the Falcons to two AHC Championships, two NCAA wins and trips to the NCAA Elite Eight and won 86 games, tying the school record set by the Class of 2018. Senior Evan Giesler tied the school record by playing in 156 career games. He tied the school record set by Matt Fairchild (2007-10), Chad Demers (2012-15) and Cole Gunner (2012-15). Demers and Gunner played in every game in their career. Giesler was one of seven Falcons to play in 100 or more games: Haak (141), Koch (131), Bailey (124), Serratore (111), Tomlak (109), Feno (108).
Players Mentioned
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