Hedden scores two in 6-2 win over AIC

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Chris Hedden scored two goals and Guy Blessing made 25 saves as Air Force defeated AIC, 6-2,in an Atlantic Hockey game, Friday, Jan. 12, at the Cadet Ice Arena. The win snapped a 10-game winless skid against AIC dating back to 2020. Air Force has scored 13 goals in the last two games. Air Force extended its winning streak to three games and evened its record at 11-11-1 overall.

AIC (12-10-1, 8-6-1 AHA) scored on its first shot as Alexander Malinoski scored 3:07 into the game. AIC outshot Air Force, 5-1, in the first six minutes of the game. The Falcons responded by out-shooting AIC 10-3 for the final 14 minutes of the period and scored the next two goals. The Falcons (11-11-1, 8-4-1 AHA) tied the game when Nate Horn put back the rebound of his own shot at 9:57. Mason McCormick and Will Staring assisted on the play. Staring collected his first point as a Falcon on the play. Late in the period, Mitchell Digby drove the net and was taken down for the first penalty of the game. The Falcons took a 2-1 lead at 18:07 when Parker Brown and Chris Hedden set up Luke Rowe at the center point. Rowe's slap shot was his third goal of the season and first on the power play.

Air Force scored the first two goals of the second period for a 4-2 lead. Andrew DeCarlo scored his second of the season, and second in his last three games, for a 3-2 lead. Staring's shot was blocked in front and just as AIC controlled the puck in the slot, DeCarlo took it away and scored at 6:32. While killing a penalty, Austin Schwartz forced a turnover at his own blue line and scored on a short-handed breakaway at 10:30. It was Schwartz's second shortie of the season and the fifth by the Falcons. AIC answered when Brett Callahan scored with a slap shot from the point at 13:50 to cut the AF lead to 4-2.

Midway through the third period, the Falcons had 29 seconds of a 5-on-3 and the Falcons capitalized. Clayton Cosentino won the faceoff and Will Gavin fed Chris Hedden in the right circle. Hedden's wrister gave the Falcons a 5-2 lead at 9:29. With 7:10 left in the game, AIC pulled its goalie for the extra attacker, but the Falcons found the empty net. Hedden collected a puck at the hash marks, on the boards, in his own end and scored with 6:10 left for a 6-2 lead.

Air Force outshot AIC, 28-27. The Falcons were 2-for-6 on the power play and killed all five of AIC's man-advantages. Nils Wallstrom made 22 for the visitors.

"This was a big win for us," head coach Frank Serratore said. "We haven't beaten them in a long, long time. There was nothing easy about that game. We didn't play our best in the first period, but we stuck with it. Guy Blessing made some terrific, timely saves for us tonight. And our special teams were darn good again. AIC is so fast and so skilled that you can never feel comfortable. I liked the way we played tonight, but we will have to be better tomorrow."

Air Force and AIC conclude the two-game league series on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 4:05 pm MT at the Cadet Ice Arena. The game will be broadcast on AM 740 KVOR.

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Team Stats

Chris Hedden

Andrew DeCarlo

Nate Horn

Luke Rowe

Players Mentioned

Guy Blessing

Parker Brown

Clayton Cosentino

Andrew DeCarlo

Mitchell Digby

Will Gavin

Chris Hedden

Nate Horn

Mason McCormick

Luke Rowe

Austin Schwartz

Will Staring

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