AIC defeated Air Force, 4-1, to split the series

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Alfred Lindberg scored two goals to lead AIC to a 4-1 win over Air Force in an Atlantic Hockey game, Saturday, Jan. 13, at a sold out Cadet Ice Arena. The two teams split the AHA series.

Air Force (11-12-1, 8-5-1 AHA) outshot AIC, 7-0, in the first nine minutes of the game. The Falcons did get the first goal when Holt Oliphant intercepted a pass in the neutral zone to set up a give-and-go with Nate Horn. Oliphant regained the puck in the slot and netted his sixth of the season at 13:26. Late in the period, a major penalty was called on AIC's Alexander Malinowski, along with a minor penalty on Air Force's Luke Rowe and the period ended with some 4-on-4 action.

Early in the second period, two penalties on the Falcons gave AIC a 4-on-3 power play and Lindberg scored with a wrister from the high slot at 1:17 to tie the game at 1-1.

AIC (13-10-1, 9-6-1 AHA) took a 2-1 lead on Lindberg's second of the game with a wrister from the right circle at 3:09. Thirty-seven seconds later, a major penalty and game misconduct was called on Air Force. In the middle of the power play, Falcon defenseman Chris Hedden drew a penalty. After the AIC power play resumed, and with 39 seconds remining on it, the Yellow Jackets scored. John Lundy's wrister from the right circle was his team-leading 12^th goal of the season for a 3-1 AIC lead at 8:09. After Clayton Cosentino drew a penalty, Air Force pulled the goalie for a 6-on-4 advantage. AIC killed it and then Dustin Manz scored an empty-netter with 1:20 left to make up the final margin.

The Falcons outshot the Yellow Jackets, 30-23. AIC was 2-for-6 on the power play and killed all five of Air Force's man-advantages. Nils Wallstrom made 29 saves for AIC and Guy Blessing made 19 for the Falcons.

"They won the special teams battle and we only scored one goal," head coach Frank Serratore said. "We kept digging ourselves in a hole and we played right into their hands. Our goaltending and penalty kill has been really good, but we can only fight them off so much. Then, when we had a power play, we didn't take advantage. If we don't get those five-minute majors out of our game, it will be the death of us."

Air Force travels to West Point, N.Y., for a two-game league series against Army, Jan. 19-20, at Tate Rink.

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