Air Force extends winning streak to four with 5-4 win

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Air Force extended its winning streak to four games with a 5-4 win over Sacred Heart in an Atlantic Hockey game, Friday, Feb. 10, at the Martire Family Arena in Fairfield, Conn. The four-game winning streak ties as the longest since early in the 2018-19 season. Air Force picked up three points in the standings and sits four points behind eighth-place Canisius.

Air Force (11-16-2, 7-11-1 AHA) took the early lead on a breakaway by senior Willie Reim just 3:27 into the first period. Mitchell Digby gave the puck to his partner Sam Brennan and Brennan's long outlet pass was right on the tape of Reim at the far blue line. Reim netted his 10^th goal of the season and his fifth goal in his last four games. The Falcons were called for three penalties later in the first period and the Pioneers tied the game. Todd Goehring put back a rebound of Neil Shea's shot with 6:57 left in the first.

In the first two minutes of the second period, Reim drew a penalty and the Falcons took a 2-1 lead. Clayton Cosentino poked a puck down to the goal line to Reim. Reim found Brennan in the slot and the junior defenseman scored his first of the season at 1:58. The Pioneers tied the game at 5:16 when Neil Shea forced a turnover behind the Air Force net and scored with a wrister from the bottom of the right circle. Air Force regained the lead 27 seconds later on Austin Schwartz's fourth of the season. Holt Oliphant finished a check on the wall and Mason McCormick collected the puck. McCormick set up Schwartz for a 3-2 lead at 5:43. The Falcons scored their second power play goal of the period after Reim drew his second penalty of the game. Freshman defenseman Chris Hedden raced back into his own end to beat a Pioneer to the loose puck and started the transition. Parker Brown got the puck to Andrew DeCarlo at the left point. DeCarlo slid the puck to Hedden in the right circle for a one-timer and his second goal of the season at 10:45.

SHU (14-13-2, 12-7-2 AHA) cut the Falcon lead to 4-3 early in the third period as Hunter Sansbury scored with a wrister from the right circle at 1:29. Shortly after the goal, Falcon defenseman Mitchell Digby was taken into the boards and drew a major penalty on Pioneer Kevin Lombardi. The Falcons regained the two-goal advantage as Brennan scored his second of the game. Luke Rowe's shot was saved and Cosentino's shot was saved as well. Brennan put back the rebound at 4:59 for a 5-3 lead. With 5:03 left in the third, the Pioneers pulled the goalie for the extra attacker. With 1:30 left, Shea scored his second of the game from the right circle. After the goal, the Pioneers went with the extra attacker again, but the Falcons held on for the 5-4 win.

SHU outshot Air Force, 33-26. The Falcons were 3-for-4 on the power play and killed four of the five SHU power plays. Maiszon Balboa made 29 saves for the Falcons. For SHU, freshman Brandon Millberg started and made 14 saves while allowing four goals in 31 minutes. Luke Lush played the final 24 minutes and stopped nine of the 10 shots he faced.

"This was a great win for us," head coach Frank Serratore said. "They are an extremely talented team. We never trailed in the game and that is huge against a team like them. You don't want to get behind against them and have to play their game. After that first period, we got our game back together. Our power play made a huge difference in the game. And give our sixth attacker defense some credit. That's a tough team to deal with in an extra attacker situation for five minutes. We are playing winning hockey right now and we found a way to get it done tonight. '

Air Force and Sacred Heart conclude the two-game league series on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 7:05 pm ET in Fairfield, Conn.

--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.