Friday, December 6
USAFA, CO
7:05 pm MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Niagara University
Air Force hosts Niagara, Dec. 6-7
12/3/2024 1:37:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
THE GAMES
Game 1: Friday, Dec. 6, 7:07 pm MT, vs. Niagara, Cadet Ice Arena
Game 2: Saturday, Dec. 7, 5:05 pm MT, vs. Niagara, Cadet Ice Arena
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television: Friday on Altitude TV
Stream: Both games FloHockey
Radio: Both games on XtraSports 1300 AM / xtrasports1300.com
Live Stats Link is on AF hockey schedule
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts: Air Force Niagara
Record: 8-9-1, 5-3-0 AHA (6th, 14 pts) 7-7-3, 6-3-2 AHA (2nd, 22 pts)
Streak: L 1 L 3
Last Series: T and L at Brown Swept by Union
Next Series: at Sacred Heart, Jan. 3-4 Guelph (exh.), H, Dec. 30
THE COACHES
Head Coach: Frank Serratore Jason Lammers
School Record: 464-445-100 (28th yr) 87-124-22 (8th yr)
Career Record: 513-537-109 (32nd yr) 106-133-24 (9th yr)
THE SERIES
Overall: Niagara Leads: 43-37-8
Last Meeting: NU win,, 4-3, Nov. 4, 2023, in Niagara
Streak: NU won 1
One Timers
* With two games left before the holiday break, Air Force's eight wins already tie as the most in the first half of the season since the 2018-19 team won nine before the break. Air Force won eight games before the break last season.
* Following the Niagara series, Air Force's next game is Jan. 3 at Sacred Heart. Air Force's 25-day break is the longest since the Falcons had a 32-day break in 2022-23. Air Force had a 24-day break last season and 25-day breaks in 2021-22 and 2019-20.
* AF is averaging just 2.33 penalties per game, the second fewest in the league. In penalty minutes per game, AF is the sixth-least penalized team in the nation with 6.5 PIM/Game
* AF has killed 24 of 30 (80 percent) opponent power plays over the last 10 games.
* AF is 6-1 in one-goal games this season
* Air Force has allowed two goals or less in seven of the last eight games and in 10 of the last 15 games
* The Falcons have scored two goals or less in 12 of the last 13 games and are 6-6-1 in those games
* In eight conference games this season, senior goalie Guy Blessing leads the league with a 1.28 GAA and is second with a .951 saves percentage with a 5-3-0 record. He has allowed just 10 goals in eight games.
* Junior Chris Hedden's six goals are tied for second in the nation among all defensemen. He scored the game-winner to beat Mercyhurst. It was his first GWG of the season and fifth of his career
* Senior Clayton Cosentino leads the nation with 227 faceoff wins.
* Cosentino leads the team with 14 points (5-9-14). He scored the game-winning goal vs. Mercyhurst (Nov. 16), his second GWG of the season and seventh of his career. He tied his career high three points twice this season
* Sophomore Brendan Gibbons leads the team with seven goals, tied for fourth in AHA and 24th in the nation
About the Purple Eagles
Niagara is 7-7-3 overall and in second place in the league with 22 points (6-3-2). Niagara ranks fourth in the nation in goals scored (53), coming in just behind Minnesota, Denver and Maine. Niagara leads the AHA with 3.12 goals per game. The Purple Eagles have lost three straight games, two at home to Union last weekend and a split at AIC, Nov. 23-24. Jay Ahearn leads the conference in both goals (10) and points (17). Shane Ott is tied for the league lead in assists (13) and is tied for third in points (16). Graduate student Pierce Charleson has started 15 of the 17 games in goal and had a 2.78 GAA and a .922 saves percentage.
The Series vs. Niagara
Air Force and Niagara have played 88 times and the Purple Eagles hold a 43-37-8 lead in the series that began in 1996 when both teams were independents. As AHA rivals (since the 2010-11 season), AF has a 26-16-5 lead in the series. Of the last 17 games, 15 have been decided by one goal or ended in a tie with six of those games going to overtime. Last season, the teams split a two-game series in Niagara with AF winning game one, 3-2 in overtime, and NU winning game two, 4-3. The teams last played at the Academy, Jan. 20-21, 2023 and split the series. In all games at the Academy, AF leads 25-18-1. Since 2019, Air Force has won five of the last six games at Cadet Ice Arena.
Game 1: Friday, Dec. 6, 7:07 pm MT, vs. Niagara, Cadet Ice Arena
Game 2: Saturday, Dec. 7, 5:05 pm MT, vs. Niagara, Cadet Ice Arena
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television: Friday on Altitude TV
Stream: Both games FloHockey
Radio: Both games on XtraSports 1300 AM / xtrasports1300.com
Live Stats Link is on AF hockey schedule
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts: Air Force Niagara
Record: 8-9-1, 5-3-0 AHA (6th, 14 pts) 7-7-3, 6-3-2 AHA (2nd, 22 pts)
Streak: L 1 L 3
Last Series: T and L at Brown Swept by Union
Next Series: at Sacred Heart, Jan. 3-4 Guelph (exh.), H, Dec. 30
THE COACHES
Head Coach: Frank Serratore Jason Lammers
School Record: 464-445-100 (28th yr) 87-124-22 (8th yr)
Career Record: 513-537-109 (32nd yr) 106-133-24 (9th yr)
THE SERIES
Overall: Niagara Leads: 43-37-8
Last Meeting: NU win,, 4-3, Nov. 4, 2023, in Niagara
Streak: NU won 1
One Timers
* With two games left before the holiday break, Air Force's eight wins already tie as the most in the first half of the season since the 2018-19 team won nine before the break. Air Force won eight games before the break last season.
* Following the Niagara series, Air Force's next game is Jan. 3 at Sacred Heart. Air Force's 25-day break is the longest since the Falcons had a 32-day break in 2022-23. Air Force had a 24-day break last season and 25-day breaks in 2021-22 and 2019-20.
* AF is averaging just 2.33 penalties per game, the second fewest in the league. In penalty minutes per game, AF is the sixth-least penalized team in the nation with 6.5 PIM/Game
* AF has killed 24 of 30 (80 percent) opponent power plays over the last 10 games.
* AF is 6-1 in one-goal games this season
* Air Force has allowed two goals or less in seven of the last eight games and in 10 of the last 15 games
* The Falcons have scored two goals or less in 12 of the last 13 games and are 6-6-1 in those games
* In eight conference games this season, senior goalie Guy Blessing leads the league with a 1.28 GAA and is second with a .951 saves percentage with a 5-3-0 record. He has allowed just 10 goals in eight games.
* Junior Chris Hedden's six goals are tied for second in the nation among all defensemen. He scored the game-winner to beat Mercyhurst. It was his first GWG of the season and fifth of his career
* Senior Clayton Cosentino leads the nation with 227 faceoff wins.
* Cosentino leads the team with 14 points (5-9-14). He scored the game-winning goal vs. Mercyhurst (Nov. 16), his second GWG of the season and seventh of his career. He tied his career high three points twice this season
* Sophomore Brendan Gibbons leads the team with seven goals, tied for fourth in AHA and 24th in the nation
About the Purple Eagles
Niagara is 7-7-3 overall and in second place in the league with 22 points (6-3-2). Niagara ranks fourth in the nation in goals scored (53), coming in just behind Minnesota, Denver and Maine. Niagara leads the AHA with 3.12 goals per game. The Purple Eagles have lost three straight games, two at home to Union last weekend and a split at AIC, Nov. 23-24. Jay Ahearn leads the conference in both goals (10) and points (17). Shane Ott is tied for the league lead in assists (13) and is tied for third in points (16). Graduate student Pierce Charleson has started 15 of the 17 games in goal and had a 2.78 GAA and a .922 saves percentage.
The Series vs. Niagara
Air Force and Niagara have played 88 times and the Purple Eagles hold a 43-37-8 lead in the series that began in 1996 when both teams were independents. As AHA rivals (since the 2010-11 season), AF has a 26-16-5 lead in the series. Of the last 17 games, 15 have been decided by one goal or ended in a tie with six of those games going to overtime. Last season, the teams split a two-game series in Niagara with AF winning game one, 3-2 in overtime, and NU winning game two, 4-3. The teams last played at the Academy, Jan. 20-21, 2023 and split the series. In all games at the Academy, AF leads 25-18-1. Since 2019, Air Force has won five of the last six games at Cadet Ice Arena.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
D
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