Friday, February 23
USAFA, CO
7:05 pm MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Robert Morris University
Air Force hosts Robert Morris, Feb. 23-24
2/21/2024 7:32:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
THE GAMES
Game 31: Friday, Feb. 23, vs. Robert Morris, 7:05 pm MT, Cadet Ice Arena
Game 32: . Saturday, Feb. 24 vs. Robert Morris, 5:05 pm MT, Cadet Ice Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television:................... None
Stream: .......................FloHockey
Radio:...........................XtraSports 1300 AM (Jay Ritchie, Dave Toller); xtrasports1300.com
Live Stats..................... StatBroadcast
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts: ................ Air Force Robert Morris
Record: ........................ 16-17-1, 13-10-1 AHA 10-21-3, 7-15-2 AHA
Streak: ......................... W 1 L 2
Last Game/Series: ...... Split at RIT L 2 vs. Canisius (H)
THE SERIES
Overall: ........................ 21-17-4
Last Meeting: .............. RMU swept AF, 4-1 and 4-2, in 2020-21
Streak: RMU W 2
One Timers
* Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Air Force is tied with AIC for fourth place in Atlantic Hockey with 38 points. The Falcons could finish as high as a tie for third place.
* The Falcons cannot go on the road in the first round (March 2). Air Force could earn a bye and have home ice in the quarterfinals (March 8-10), could earn a bye and go on the road in the quarterfinals or could host a single game in the first round (March 2).
* Air Force's 16 wins are the most since also getting 16 in 2021-22. The 16 wins tie as the most since the 2017-18 team went 23-15-5, won the AHA Tournament and reached the NCAA Elite Eight.
* Air Force went three games without a PPG, but scored one Saturday at RIT. Air Force has a power-play goal in 11 of the last 15. The Falcons' 31 power-play goals this season lead the AHA and are sixth in the nation.
* Air Force leads the AHA and is ninth in the nation with a .544 faceoff winning percentage.
* Air Force's penalty kill (83.8) is fifth in the AHA and 14th in the nation.
* Air Force is tied for second in the nation with seven short-handed goals. Air Force is 4-0 this season when scoring a shortie
* The Falcons are 15-7-0 when scoring three or more goals and 1-10-1 when scoring two or less.
* Air Force is 12-5-0 when scoring the first goal of the game and 4-12-1 when allowing it.
* Air Force has seven players who have played 100 or more career games and two others who have played more than 90 career games.
* Will Gavin leads the AHA and ranks eighth in the nation with 19 goals this season. His 19 goals are the most by a Falcon since Jordan Himley's 22 in 2016-17.
* Gavin's 11 PPG lead the AHA and are second in the nation. They are the most since Jacques Lamoureux had 13 in 2010-11
* Gavin is tied for second in the AHA in points (36) and Chris Hedden is fourth (35)
* Hedden's 35 points are the most by a Falcon defenseman since Greg Flynn had 42 in 2008-09
* Luke Rowe is fifth in the AHA in assists (22), tied for 10th in points (28)
* Clayton Cosentino won 27 faceoffs vs. Sacred Heart and leads the nation with 524 faceoff wins.
Scouting the Colonials
The RMU hockey program was discontinued in May, 2021, but is in its first season back. The Colonials are 10-21-3 overall and 7-15-2 and in 11th place in Atlantic Hockey with 25 points. The Colonials were swept last week at home by Canisius, 5-3 and 5-4. RMU is 3-3 in their last six games and swept Mercyhurst, Feb. 2-3, winning both home and away games. Tanner Klimpke and Dallas Tulik are tied for the team lead with 22 points each. Klimpke leads the team with 11 goals. Chad Veltri has started 27 of the 34 has a 3.27 GAA and a .915 saves percentage. A grad student, Veltri played four years at Niagara and has 48 career wins and over 2,000 career saves.
Series vs. RMU
Air Force and Robert Morris have played 42 times and Air Force holds a 21-17-4 in the series that began in 2004. The Falcons are 6-2-2 against RMU in the last 10 games. The teams have not played since the 2020-21 season when RMU swept the Falcons, 4-1 and 4-2, at the Cadet Ice Arena. At the Cadet Ice Arena, AF is 11-10 vs. RMU.
Game 31: Friday, Feb. 23, vs. Robert Morris, 7:05 pm MT, Cadet Ice Arena
Game 32: . Saturday, Feb. 24 vs. Robert Morris, 5:05 pm MT, Cadet Ice Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television:................... None
Stream: .......................FloHockey
Radio:...........................XtraSports 1300 AM (Jay Ritchie, Dave Toller); xtrasports1300.com
Live Stats..................... StatBroadcast
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts: ................ Air Force Robert Morris
Record: ........................ 16-17-1, 13-10-1 AHA 10-21-3, 7-15-2 AHA
Streak: ......................... W 1 L 2
Last Game/Series: ...... Split at RIT L 2 vs. Canisius (H)
THE SERIES
Overall: ........................ 21-17-4
Last Meeting: .............. RMU swept AF, 4-1 and 4-2, in 2020-21
Streak: RMU W 2
One Timers
* Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Air Force is tied with AIC for fourth place in Atlantic Hockey with 38 points. The Falcons could finish as high as a tie for third place.
* The Falcons cannot go on the road in the first round (March 2). Air Force could earn a bye and have home ice in the quarterfinals (March 8-10), could earn a bye and go on the road in the quarterfinals or could host a single game in the first round (March 2).
* Air Force's 16 wins are the most since also getting 16 in 2021-22. The 16 wins tie as the most since the 2017-18 team went 23-15-5, won the AHA Tournament and reached the NCAA Elite Eight.
* Air Force went three games without a PPG, but scored one Saturday at RIT. Air Force has a power-play goal in 11 of the last 15. The Falcons' 31 power-play goals this season lead the AHA and are sixth in the nation.
* Air Force leads the AHA and is ninth in the nation with a .544 faceoff winning percentage.
* Air Force's penalty kill (83.8) is fifth in the AHA and 14th in the nation.
* Air Force is tied for second in the nation with seven short-handed goals. Air Force is 4-0 this season when scoring a shortie
* The Falcons are 15-7-0 when scoring three or more goals and 1-10-1 when scoring two or less.
* Air Force is 12-5-0 when scoring the first goal of the game and 4-12-1 when allowing it.
* Air Force has seven players who have played 100 or more career games and two others who have played more than 90 career games.
* Will Gavin leads the AHA and ranks eighth in the nation with 19 goals this season. His 19 goals are the most by a Falcon since Jordan Himley's 22 in 2016-17.
* Gavin's 11 PPG lead the AHA and are second in the nation. They are the most since Jacques Lamoureux had 13 in 2010-11
* Gavin is tied for second in the AHA in points (36) and Chris Hedden is fourth (35)
* Hedden's 35 points are the most by a Falcon defenseman since Greg Flynn had 42 in 2008-09
* Luke Rowe is fifth in the AHA in assists (22), tied for 10th in points (28)
* Clayton Cosentino won 27 faceoffs vs. Sacred Heart and leads the nation with 524 faceoff wins.
Scouting the Colonials
The RMU hockey program was discontinued in May, 2021, but is in its first season back. The Colonials are 10-21-3 overall and 7-15-2 and in 11th place in Atlantic Hockey with 25 points. The Colonials were swept last week at home by Canisius, 5-3 and 5-4. RMU is 3-3 in their last six games and swept Mercyhurst, Feb. 2-3, winning both home and away games. Tanner Klimpke and Dallas Tulik are tied for the team lead with 22 points each. Klimpke leads the team with 11 goals. Chad Veltri has started 27 of the 34 has a 3.27 GAA and a .915 saves percentage. A grad student, Veltri played four years at Niagara and has 48 career wins and over 2,000 career saves.
Series vs. RMU
Air Force and Robert Morris have played 42 times and Air Force holds a 21-17-4 in the series that began in 2004. The Falcons are 6-2-2 against RMU in the last 10 games. The teams have not played since the 2020-21 season when RMU swept the Falcons, 4-1 and 4-2, at the Cadet Ice Arena. At the Cadet Ice Arena, AF is 11-10 vs. RMU.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
D
/ Men's Ice Hockey
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