Four Falcons named finalists for AHA individual awards
3/14/2024 12:12:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Four Falcons have been selected as finalists for the Atlantic Hockey individual awards, as announced today by the league office. The winners of the individual awards will be announced on Tuesday, March 19.
In his 27th season with the Falcons, head coach Frank Serratore is a finalist for the AHA Coach of the Year award. Air Force was picked to finish eighth in the AHA preseason poll and exceeded that prediction by four spots. Air Force finished fourth in the league, earned a first-round bye and clinched home ice in the quarterfinals. The Falcons won 18 games, the most since 2018.
Sophomore Chris Hedden is a finalist for the AHA Defenseman of the Year award. A second-team all-conference selection, Hedden finished the season with 37 points (8-29-37) in 38 games. He led the league and was fourth in the nation in points by a defenseman. He led the team in both points (37) and blocked shots (54).
Junior winger Austin Schwartz is a finalist for the AHA Best Defensive Forward award. Schwartz played a key role on the Falcon penalty kill that ranked seventh in the nation, killing 84.8 percent of the opponent's power plays. Schwartz led nation with four short-handed goals. His plus-minus ratio was second on the team and his career plus-minus is the best among the team's forwards. He also had career-highs of 10 goals, 19 points and won 53.6 percent of his faceoffs.
Junior center Clayton Cosentino is a finalist for the AHA Individual Sportsmanship award. A player who plays in every situation on the ice, Cosentino was called for just two minor penalties in league play and just three minors overall in 38 games this season. He led the nation with 592 faceoff wins, won 59 percent of his faceoffs while having 10 goals, 28 points and 31 blocked shots.
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In his 27th season with the Falcons, head coach Frank Serratore is a finalist for the AHA Coach of the Year award. Air Force was picked to finish eighth in the AHA preseason poll and exceeded that prediction by four spots. Air Force finished fourth in the league, earned a first-round bye and clinched home ice in the quarterfinals. The Falcons won 18 games, the most since 2018.
Sophomore Chris Hedden is a finalist for the AHA Defenseman of the Year award. A second-team all-conference selection, Hedden finished the season with 37 points (8-29-37) in 38 games. He led the league and was fourth in the nation in points by a defenseman. He led the team in both points (37) and blocked shots (54).
Junior winger Austin Schwartz is a finalist for the AHA Best Defensive Forward award. Schwartz played a key role on the Falcon penalty kill that ranked seventh in the nation, killing 84.8 percent of the opponent's power plays. Schwartz led nation with four short-handed goals. His plus-minus ratio was second on the team and his career plus-minus is the best among the team's forwards. He also had career-highs of 10 goals, 19 points and won 53.6 percent of his faceoffs.
Junior center Clayton Cosentino is a finalist for the AHA Individual Sportsmanship award. A player who plays in every situation on the ice, Cosentino was called for just two minor penalties in league play and just three minors overall in 38 games this season. He led the nation with 592 faceoff wins, won 59 percent of his faceoffs while having 10 goals, 28 points and 31 blocked shots.
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Players Mentioned
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