Falcon rally comes up short in 4-3 loss at AIC

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Air Force rallied for three goals in the third period to tie the game, but AIC scored the game-winner with five minutes left in a 4-3 win over the Falcons, Sunday, Jan. 2, at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, Mass.

AIC (6-9-1, 6-4-0 AHA) scored 31 seconds into the game as Julius Janhonen put back a rebound for a 1-0 lead. The Yellow Jackets then capitalized on two Air Force turnovers in their own end for a 3-0 lead. AIC freshman Luis Lindner scored his first career goal at 10:15. AIC then took a 3-0 lead when Chris Thodore scored at 14:04. Following the goal, Air Force freshman Guy Blessing replaced Alex Schilling between the pipes.

After a scoreless second period, the Falcons rallied in the third. In the first minute, Brandon Koch sent the puck into the neutral zone and Andrew DeCarlo fed Willie Reim. Reim drove down the left side, moved the puck on his backhand and put the Falcons on the board 47 seconds into the third period. Air Force kept the pressure on and found the back of the net again. Jacob Marti went coast-to-coast and skated around the net. Marti set up Brennan at the top of the left circle and the sophomore cut the AIC lead to 3-2 just 3:22 into the third. Less than two minutes later, the Falcons tied the game on the power play. Reim netted his second of the game as he tipped in a point shot by Brennan at 5:59. DeCarlo tied his career high with his second assist of the game. Reim has scored a goal in four straight games.

With just over five minutes left and the Falcons killing a penalty, Koch broke free down the right side and his short-handed shot went off the post. On the ensuing rush, the AIC power play expired and Austin Long slipped through the slot giving the Yellow Jackets a 4-3 lead with 4:57 left. Air Force pulled the goalie with 1:50 left. In the final seconds, Marti's shot from the high slot went high off the goalie's glove and trickled just wide of the post as time expired.

AIC outshot Air Force, 32-20. Air Force was 1-for-5 on the power play and killed all five of the AIC power plays. Jake Kucharski made 17 saves for the home team. Blessing made a career high 21 saves in the final 45 minutes.

"I'm proud of the way our guys fought back and tied the game in the third," head coach Frank Serratore said. "I told the guys, don't be disappointed with the end of the game, be disappointed with the beginning. We got off to a horrific start. We didn't play a sound game and we didn't execute very well early. But our team has proven to be resilient and we have come back several times this season. It's hard to turn a game and we turned this one in the third and put ourselves in position to win the game."

Air Force (5-11-2, 3-7-2 AHA) is now off until a conference series against Niagara, Jan. 14-15, at the Academy.

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