Friday, January 21
Erie, PA
5:05 pm MT
Air Force Academy
8-11-2
5
at
2
Mercyhurst University
5-14-4
1
2
3
F
Air Force
3
0
2
5
Mercyhurst
1
0
1
2
Air Force beats Mercyhurst, 5-2
1/21/2022 9:18:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
ERIE, Pa. – Will Gavin scored two goals and Brandon Koch had three assists as Air Force defeated Mercyhurst, 5-2, in an Atlantic Hockey Association game Friday, Jan. 21, at the Mercyhurst Ice Center in Erie, Pa. Air Force has now won three straight games and moved into fifth place in the AHA standings.
Air Force (8-11-2, 6-7-2 AHA) struck first on the rush. Clayton Cosentino dropped a pass for Will Gavin and the sophomore put the Falcons up 1-0 at 4:27. Parker Brown also assisted on the play. Mercyhurst tied the game 67 seconds later when Gueorgui Feduolov tapped in a pass from Jake Beaune on the back door at 5:20.
The Falcons then scored two goals in a span of 17 seconds. After Luke Rowe drew a penalty, the Falcons scored on the power play for the fifth straight game. Nate Horn and Brandon Koch set up Mitchell Digby for a wrister from the top of the right circle at 10:41. The Falcons took a 3-1 lead when Cosentino won a faceoff in the offensive zone and Gavin netted his second of the game, and team-leading ninth of the season, at 10:58.
In a scoreless second period, the Falcons killed a Laker 5-on-3 that lasted 96 seconds. The Lakers cut the Falcon lead to 3-2 midway through the third period when Rylee St. Onge scored with a one timer from the right circle at 9:44. Air Force answered 42 seconds later on Cosentino's third of the season. Brandon Koch made a pass from deep in his own end to Cosentino at the far blue line at 10:26. Rowe also assisted as the Falcons took a 4-2 lead. Late in the third, Mercyhurst pulled the goalie for an extra attacker and had about 20 seconds of a 6-on-4 advantage. Just as Lucas Coon came out of the box, Nate Horn found him in the neutral zone for the empty-netter with 1:15 remaining. Koch picked up his career-high third assist of the game.
Air Force had a season-high 45 shots in the game while the Lakers had 21. Air Force was 1-for-8 on the power play and killed all five of the Laker power plays. Alex Schilling made 19 saves for the Falcons. MU's Kyle McLellan had 40 saves in the game.
"This was just what the doctor ordered," head coach Frank Serratore said. "We played really well. Our special teams and our goaltending were good. There was a lot to feel good about tonight. We played our style and we were difficult to play against. The confidence continues to build with this team and they have a lot of potential."
The same two teams conclude the conference series on Saturday, Jan. 22, at 4:05 pm ET in Erie, Pa.
--30--
Air Force (8-11-2, 6-7-2 AHA) struck first on the rush. Clayton Cosentino dropped a pass for Will Gavin and the sophomore put the Falcons up 1-0 at 4:27. Parker Brown also assisted on the play. Mercyhurst tied the game 67 seconds later when Gueorgui Feduolov tapped in a pass from Jake Beaune on the back door at 5:20.
The Falcons then scored two goals in a span of 17 seconds. After Luke Rowe drew a penalty, the Falcons scored on the power play for the fifth straight game. Nate Horn and Brandon Koch set up Mitchell Digby for a wrister from the top of the right circle at 10:41. The Falcons took a 3-1 lead when Cosentino won a faceoff in the offensive zone and Gavin netted his second of the game, and team-leading ninth of the season, at 10:58.
In a scoreless second period, the Falcons killed a Laker 5-on-3 that lasted 96 seconds. The Lakers cut the Falcon lead to 3-2 midway through the third period when Rylee St. Onge scored with a one timer from the right circle at 9:44. Air Force answered 42 seconds later on Cosentino's third of the season. Brandon Koch made a pass from deep in his own end to Cosentino at the far blue line at 10:26. Rowe also assisted as the Falcons took a 4-2 lead. Late in the third, Mercyhurst pulled the goalie for an extra attacker and had about 20 seconds of a 6-on-4 advantage. Just as Lucas Coon came out of the box, Nate Horn found him in the neutral zone for the empty-netter with 1:15 remaining. Koch picked up his career-high third assist of the game.
Air Force had a season-high 45 shots in the game while the Lakers had 21. Air Force was 1-for-8 on the power play and killed all five of the Laker power plays. Alex Schilling made 19 saves for the Falcons. MU's Kyle McLellan had 40 saves in the game.
"This was just what the doctor ordered," head coach Frank Serratore said. "We played really well. Our special teams and our goaltending were good. There was a lot to feel good about tonight. We played our style and we were difficult to play against. The confidence continues to build with this team and they have a lot of potential."
The same two teams conclude the conference series on Saturday, Jan. 22, at 4:05 pm ET in Erie, Pa.
--30--
Team Stats
AFU
MER
Shots
45
21
PPG
1
0
SHG
0
0
Penalties
5
8
Penalty Mins
10
16
Faceoffs Won
25
44
Game Leaders
+/-
3
Goals
1
Sh
5
A
2
+/-
2
Goals
0
Sh
2
A
3
+/-
3
Goals
2
Sh
4
A
0
Players Mentioned
F
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