Air Force hosts No. 4 Denver and Colorado College (rv)
10/7/2025 2:30:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
THE GAME
Game 1: vs. No. 4 Denver, Friday, Oct. 10, 7:07 pm, Cadet Ice Arena
Game 2: vs. Colorado College (rv), Saturday, Oct. 11, 5:07 pm, Cadet Ice Arena
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Radio: XtraSports 1300 AM / xtrasports1300.com;
Live Stats StatBroadcast
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts: Air Force Denver Colo. College
Record: 0-0-0 0-0-0 1-1-0
Streak: -- -- L 1
Last Series: L 2-3 (ot) at Omaha (EX) W UNLV (6-1, EX) Split with No. 10 UConn
THE COACHES
Head Coach: Frank Serratore David Carle Kris Mayotte
School Record: 472-457-102 (29th yr) 179–74–17 (8th yr) 61–77–10(5th yr)
Career Record: 521-549-111 (33rd yr) Same Same
THE SERIES
Overall: DU Leads: 41-4-1 / CC Leads 68-15-2
Last Meeting: DU beat AF, 4-0, Oct. 28, 2023 / CC swept AF last season, 3-2 ot and 6-1
Streak: DU - W 7 / CC W 2
Looking Back at Last Season
* Air Force finished the 2024-25 season 16-21-3 overall. The Falcons were the seventh seed in the AHA playoffs after an 11-13-2 record.
* Air Force finished the season going 5-3-2 in the last 10 games.
* Seventh-seeded Air Force defeated Robert Morris, 4-3 in double overtime, to advance to the AHA Quarterfinals at Sacred Heart. The Falcons won game two, 3-2 in double overtime, but fell in game three to end the season
* Air Force posted a winning record at home at 10-9-1 in 2024-25
* Air Force's 560 blocked shots last season are a new school record. The previous record of 539 was set in 2017-18.
* Air Force's 12 overtime games last season tied the school record (2021-22). The five overtime wins tied as the second most.
* Over the last 10 games of the season, six freshman combined for 11 goals and 30 points.
* Air Force was third in the AHA and 11th in the nation in faceoff winning percentage at .533.
* AF was 9-9 in one-goal games ... 21 of the team's 40 games were decided by one goal or tied.
* Defenseman Chris Hedden was second on the team with 11 goals and 26 points. His 11 goals were tied as the fifth-most in the nation by a defenseman. His 11 goals are the seventh most by a defenseman in school history and the most since Tim Kirby had 12 in 2011-12.
* Hedden's 74 blocked shots led the team and ranked eighth in the nation
* Hedden was named to the AHA preseason all-conference team
* Air Force was picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches' poll
* Air Force opened the 2025-26 season with a 3-2 overtime loss at Omaha (receiving votes). Senior captain Chris Hedden and freshman Oliver Genest scored for the Falcons. Junior Carter Clafton played all 60:33 and made 26 saves.
Last Time vs. the Tigers
Colorado College swept Air Force, 3-2 in overtime at Robson Arena and 6-1 at Cadet Ice Arena, Nov. 1-2, 2024. In game one, CC's Max Burkholder scored the game-winner at 1:08 of overtime as the eighth-ranked Tigers defeated Air Force, 3-2. Brendan Gibbons and Clayton Cosentino gave the Falcons took a 2-0 lead. CC got on the board with a power-play goal from Klavs Veinbergs in the second. CC tied the game 60 seconds into the third period as Drew Montgomery scored. CC outshot Air Force, 33-27, in the game. Guy Blessing made 30 saves for the Falcons, while Kaidan Mbereko had 25 for the Tigers. CC was 1-for-4 on the power play while AF was 0-for-3. In game two, CC scored four goals in the third period for a 6-1 win. Riley Stuart and Zaccharya Wisdom gave CC a 2-0 lead, but Gibbons cut the lead in half in the second. In the third period, Ty Gallagher, Chris McLean, Gleb Veremyev and Tyler Coffey all scored for the Tigers. Air Force and Colorado College each had 28 shots on goal. Guy Blessing made 22 saves for the Falcons while Mbereko had 27 for the Tigers. Air Force was 1-for-7 on the power play and killed both Tiger power plays.
Last Time vs. the Pioneers
Freshman goalie Freddie Halyk made 24 saves to lead second-ranked Denver to a 4-0 win over Air Force, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, at Magness Arena in Denver, Colo. Denver took the early lead when Boston Buckberger's shot was redirected by Massimo Rizzo. Late in the second period, Pioneer Cale Ashcroft took a shot from below the goal line that caromed off the back of goalie Guy Blessing and into the net. Late in the third, Rizzo took a puck coast-to-coast, made a move around Blessing and scored while diving across the crease with 5:44 left. With 2:57 remaining, but the Pioneer Carter King scored into the empty net at 18:00. Denver outshot Air Force, 27-24. Each team was 0-for-5 on the power play. Guy Blessing made 23 saves for the Falcons.
The Pikes Peak Trophy
The Pikes Peak Trophy, named in honor of the late John Matchefts, was jointly created in 2013 by Air Force and Colorado College and is awarded annually to the winner of the CC-Air Force game/series. Matchefts, who served stints as head coach for both Air Force (1974-85) and Colorado College (1966-71), is a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Matchefts led Air Force to 151 wins, the second most in school history.
Since the Trophy's inception in 2013, the Falcons have won it four times (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017) and retained it once (2015). Colorado College has won it four times (2018, 2020, 2023 and 2024) and retained it twice (2021 and 2022).
Series vs. Colorado College
Air Force and Colorado College have played 85 times in the regular season and the Tigers hold a 68-15-2 lead in the series that began in 1969. Last season, CC swept Air Force. While the Tigers have dominated the history of the series, Air Force has won seven of the last 16 matchups dating back to 2013 (not including exhibition games). CC has won two straight in the series and five of the last six. The Falcons have won five of the last eight in the series at Cadet Ice Arena (not counting exhibition games). Air Force's last win at the Cadet Ice Arena was a 6-3 win over Oct. 29, 2023. AF is 9-34-1 all-time vs. CC at Cadet Ice Arena.
Series vs. Denver
Denver leads the all-time series against the Falcons, 41-4-1. The teams have not played since a 4-0 DU win at Magness, Oct. 28, 2023 in Denver. Denver has won seven straight in the series. Air Force's last win in the series was a 5-4 overtime victory at Cadet Ice Arena on Oct. 9, 2015. The Falcons are 2-17-1 in games played at the Cadet Ice Arena.
Game 1: vs. No. 4 Denver, Friday, Oct. 10, 7:07 pm, Cadet Ice Arena
Game 2: vs. Colorado College (rv), Saturday, Oct. 11, 5:07 pm, Cadet Ice Arena
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Radio: XtraSports 1300 AM / xtrasports1300.com;
Live Stats StatBroadcast
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts: Air Force Denver Colo. College
Record: 0-0-0 0-0-0 1-1-0
Streak: -- -- L 1
Last Series: L 2-3 (ot) at Omaha (EX) W UNLV (6-1, EX) Split with No. 10 UConn
THE COACHES
Head Coach: Frank Serratore David Carle Kris Mayotte
School Record: 472-457-102 (29th yr) 179–74–17 (8th yr) 61–77–10(5th yr)
Career Record: 521-549-111 (33rd yr) Same Same
THE SERIES
Overall: DU Leads: 41-4-1 / CC Leads 68-15-2
Last Meeting: DU beat AF, 4-0, Oct. 28, 2023 / CC swept AF last season, 3-2 ot and 6-1
Streak: DU - W 7 / CC W 2
Looking Back at Last Season
* Air Force finished the 2024-25 season 16-21-3 overall. The Falcons were the seventh seed in the AHA playoffs after an 11-13-2 record.
* Air Force finished the season going 5-3-2 in the last 10 games.
* Seventh-seeded Air Force defeated Robert Morris, 4-3 in double overtime, to advance to the AHA Quarterfinals at Sacred Heart. The Falcons won game two, 3-2 in double overtime, but fell in game three to end the season
* Air Force posted a winning record at home at 10-9-1 in 2024-25
* Air Force's 560 blocked shots last season are a new school record. The previous record of 539 was set in 2017-18.
* Air Force's 12 overtime games last season tied the school record (2021-22). The five overtime wins tied as the second most.
* Over the last 10 games of the season, six freshman combined for 11 goals and 30 points.
* Air Force was third in the AHA and 11th in the nation in faceoff winning percentage at .533.
* AF was 9-9 in one-goal games ... 21 of the team's 40 games were decided by one goal or tied.
* Defenseman Chris Hedden was second on the team with 11 goals and 26 points. His 11 goals were tied as the fifth-most in the nation by a defenseman. His 11 goals are the seventh most by a defenseman in school history and the most since Tim Kirby had 12 in 2011-12.
* Hedden's 74 blocked shots led the team and ranked eighth in the nation
* Hedden was named to the AHA preseason all-conference team
* Air Force was picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches' poll
* Air Force opened the 2025-26 season with a 3-2 overtime loss at Omaha (receiving votes). Senior captain Chris Hedden and freshman Oliver Genest scored for the Falcons. Junior Carter Clafton played all 60:33 and made 26 saves.
Last Time vs. the Tigers
Colorado College swept Air Force, 3-2 in overtime at Robson Arena and 6-1 at Cadet Ice Arena, Nov. 1-2, 2024. In game one, CC's Max Burkholder scored the game-winner at 1:08 of overtime as the eighth-ranked Tigers defeated Air Force, 3-2. Brendan Gibbons and Clayton Cosentino gave the Falcons took a 2-0 lead. CC got on the board with a power-play goal from Klavs Veinbergs in the second. CC tied the game 60 seconds into the third period as Drew Montgomery scored. CC outshot Air Force, 33-27, in the game. Guy Blessing made 30 saves for the Falcons, while Kaidan Mbereko had 25 for the Tigers. CC was 1-for-4 on the power play while AF was 0-for-3. In game two, CC scored four goals in the third period for a 6-1 win. Riley Stuart and Zaccharya Wisdom gave CC a 2-0 lead, but Gibbons cut the lead in half in the second. In the third period, Ty Gallagher, Chris McLean, Gleb Veremyev and Tyler Coffey all scored for the Tigers. Air Force and Colorado College each had 28 shots on goal. Guy Blessing made 22 saves for the Falcons while Mbereko had 27 for the Tigers. Air Force was 1-for-7 on the power play and killed both Tiger power plays.
Last Time vs. the Pioneers
Freshman goalie Freddie Halyk made 24 saves to lead second-ranked Denver to a 4-0 win over Air Force, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, at Magness Arena in Denver, Colo. Denver took the early lead when Boston Buckberger's shot was redirected by Massimo Rizzo. Late in the second period, Pioneer Cale Ashcroft took a shot from below the goal line that caromed off the back of goalie Guy Blessing and into the net. Late in the third, Rizzo took a puck coast-to-coast, made a move around Blessing and scored while diving across the crease with 5:44 left. With 2:57 remaining, but the Pioneer Carter King scored into the empty net at 18:00. Denver outshot Air Force, 27-24. Each team was 0-for-5 on the power play. Guy Blessing made 23 saves for the Falcons.
The Pikes Peak Trophy
The Pikes Peak Trophy, named in honor of the late John Matchefts, was jointly created in 2013 by Air Force and Colorado College and is awarded annually to the winner of the CC-Air Force game/series. Matchefts, who served stints as head coach for both Air Force (1974-85) and Colorado College (1966-71), is a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Matchefts led Air Force to 151 wins, the second most in school history.
Since the Trophy's inception in 2013, the Falcons have won it four times (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017) and retained it once (2015). Colorado College has won it four times (2018, 2020, 2023 and 2024) and retained it twice (2021 and 2022).
Series vs. Colorado College
Air Force and Colorado College have played 85 times in the regular season and the Tigers hold a 68-15-2 lead in the series that began in 1969. Last season, CC swept Air Force. While the Tigers have dominated the history of the series, Air Force has won seven of the last 16 matchups dating back to 2013 (not including exhibition games). CC has won two straight in the series and five of the last six. The Falcons have won five of the last eight in the series at Cadet Ice Arena (not counting exhibition games). Air Force's last win at the Cadet Ice Arena was a 6-3 win over Oct. 29, 2023. AF is 9-34-1 all-time vs. CC at Cadet Ice Arena.
Series vs. Denver
Denver leads the all-time series against the Falcons, 41-4-1. The teams have not played since a 4-0 DU win at Magness, Oct. 28, 2023 in Denver. Denver has won seven straight in the series. Air Force's last win in the series was a 5-4 overtime victory at Cadet Ice Arena on Oct. 9, 2015. The Falcons are 2-17-1 in games played at the Cadet Ice Arena.
Players Mentioned
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