AIC scores three in second for 5-1 win over Falcons

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – AIC scored three goals in a span of 3:34 in the second period en route to a 5-1 win over Air Force in an Atlantic Hockey Association game, Saturday, Jan. 4, at the Cadet Ice Arena.

Air Force (6-9-3, 6-5-3 AHA) struck first as Brady Tomlak scored his sixth of the season at 3:27. Shawn Knowlton skated down the slot and set up Tomlak on the weak side. Freshman defenseman Luke Rowe collected his first career point with an assist on the play. AIC (9-10-1, 9-5-1 AHA) answered just over three minutes later. Austin Albrecht handled the puck behind the net and fed Martin Mellberg out front. Mellberg scored his fourth of the season at 6:57. Air Force outshot AIC, 4-0, in the first six minutes of the game. After that, AIC outshot Air Force, 10-3.

AIC erupted for three goals in a span of 3:34 midway through the second period to take a 4-1 lead. On the rush, Hugo Reinhardt set up Jared Pike for his sixth of the season at 6:02 for a 2-1 lead. The Yellow Jackets forced a turnover in the neutral zone and Kyle Stephan scored with a wrister from the right circle at 8:38. Albrecht had the only assist on the play. Less than a minute later, AIC took a 4-1 lead on the rush. Parker Revering gained the zone and took a shot that was wide. Chris Dodero collected the loose puck and gave it back to Revering for a wrister from the right circle at 9:36. After the goal, Zach LaRocque replaced Alex Schilling
in the Air Force net. After the goal, Air Force outshot AIC, 8-0, and had several flurries that were turned away by AIC goalie Stefano Durante in the final nine minutes of the period.

Late in the third period, Air Force pulled the goaltender in favor of the extra attacker and AIC's Blake Christensen scored in the empty net with 5:22 remaining to make up the final margin.

Air Force outshot AIC, 30-23, in the game. Each team was 0-for-2 on the power play. Stefano Durante made 29 saves for the Yellow Jackets. Alex Schilling started the game and made 12 saves for the Falcons, while allowing four goals, in 30 minutes. Zach LaRocque stopped all six shots he faced in 27 minutes.

"I thought it was a pretty even first period, but then the second period got away from us," head coach Frank Serratore said. "Against AIC, it doesn't have to get away for long. They have some opportunistic players and when you give them a chance, they will put it away. We lost our way a couple times and got away from our structure. They didn't really get much that we didn't give them. We died tonight from some self-inflicted wounds."

Air Force travels to Army West Point for a two-game AHA series against the Black Knights, Jan. 10-11.

--30--

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.