Saturday, March 1
USAFA, CO
5:05 pm MT
Air Force Academy
15-19-3
4
vs
3
Robert Morris University
10-20-5
1
2
3
OT 1
OT 2
F
Robert Morris
2
0
1
0
0
3
Air Force
1
1
1
0
1
4
Falcons advance with 4-3 overtime win over Robert Morris
3/1/2025 10:17:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Freshman Anthony Yu scored late in the second overtime as Air Force beat Robert Morris, 4-3, in the first round of the Atlantic Hockey America playoffs Saturday, March 1, at the Cadet Ice Arena.
Air Force advances to the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals to face No. 2 Sacred Heart next week. It was the second-longest game in Air Force history at 93:30 (Vermont, 2009, 94:10).
Robert Morris (10-20-5) opened the scoring early in the first period when Tanner Klimpke put back a rebound of Luke Van Why's shot at 6:16. Air Force (15-19-3) tied the game on the rush. Sam Stitz forced a turnover in the RMU end and set up Nick Sajevic in the slot. Sajevic's shot went off the goaltender, high into the air and landed in back of the net for his third of the season at 11:27. RMU regained the lead on the power play at 13:57. Just 13 seconds into the power play, Michael Craig set up Michael Felsing at the top of the right circle and his wrister went high, blocker side, for a 2-1 lead.
Midway through the second period, Colonial forward Mitch Deelstra was called for a major penalty for boarding for a hit on Mason McCormick. The Falcons capitalized with a power play goal at 6:08 of the second. Chris Hedden's long outlet pass to Sam Stitz started a 2-on-1. Stitz set up Cosentino to tie the game at 2-2. The power-play goal was Cosentino's 100th career point, the first Falcon to reach 100 career points since 2015.
Early in the third period, Air Force took its first lead early on a flurry in front of the Colonial net. Nick Sajevic gained the zone and Will Dawson's shot was saved. Ren Morque sent one in front and Stitz poked it in at 4:57 for his eighth of the season. RMU tied the game at 10:24 on Klimpke's second of the game with wrister from the slot. Late in the third period, Air Force was called for a penalty, but the killers and Guy Blessing denied the Colonial power play, forcing overtime.
"We were a little tight early on," head coach Frank Serratore said. "But our competitive patience was good. We needed our power play to help us tonight and it did. We needed that goal on the five-minute major. Then that penalty kill at the end of regulation was huge."
Neither team scored in the first overtime as RMU had seven shots and Air Force had five. With just over 13 minutes left, Stitz took a shot that slipped through the RMU goalie and, as it was sitting on the goal line, Colonial defenseman Luke van Why cleared it out of danger.
Late in the second overtime, McCormick drew his second penalty of the game and the Falcons went on the power play. Cosentino won the ensuing faceoff and Hedden's shot was saved. Freshman Anthony Yu put back the rebound at 13:30 for his first career game-winner.
"We needed to win this game at home and we needed to advance," Serratore said. "I'm really proud of the guys. We had to come from behind twice tonight, but the guys stuck with it. Â We managed the game well in overtime. To measure our success for the season, we needed to win this game. Being able to win for our seniors on our home ice is something special."
Air Force had a season-high 54 shots. Robert Morris had 37. Guy Blessing made 34 saves for the Falcons while Croix Kochendorfer had 50 for the Colonials. RMU was 1-for-2 on the power play and Air Force was 2-for-4. The Falcons are 4-1-2 in their last seven games.
Air Force, the seventh seed, travels to No. 2 Sacred Heart for a three-game quarterfinal series, Friday-Sunday, March 7-9, in Fairfield, Conn. Air Force and Sacred Heart split a two-game series earlier this season in Fairfield, Jan. 3-4.
--30--
Â
Air Force advances to the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals to face No. 2 Sacred Heart next week. It was the second-longest game in Air Force history at 93:30 (Vermont, 2009, 94:10).
Robert Morris (10-20-5) opened the scoring early in the first period when Tanner Klimpke put back a rebound of Luke Van Why's shot at 6:16. Air Force (15-19-3) tied the game on the rush. Sam Stitz forced a turnover in the RMU end and set up Nick Sajevic in the slot. Sajevic's shot went off the goaltender, high into the air and landed in back of the net for his third of the season at 11:27. RMU regained the lead on the power play at 13:57. Just 13 seconds into the power play, Michael Craig set up Michael Felsing at the top of the right circle and his wrister went high, blocker side, for a 2-1 lead.
Midway through the second period, Colonial forward Mitch Deelstra was called for a major penalty for boarding for a hit on Mason McCormick. The Falcons capitalized with a power play goal at 6:08 of the second. Chris Hedden's long outlet pass to Sam Stitz started a 2-on-1. Stitz set up Cosentino to tie the game at 2-2. The power-play goal was Cosentino's 100th career point, the first Falcon to reach 100 career points since 2015.
Early in the third period, Air Force took its first lead early on a flurry in front of the Colonial net. Nick Sajevic gained the zone and Will Dawson's shot was saved. Ren Morque sent one in front and Stitz poked it in at 4:57 for his eighth of the season. RMU tied the game at 10:24 on Klimpke's second of the game with wrister from the slot. Late in the third period, Air Force was called for a penalty, but the killers and Guy Blessing denied the Colonial power play, forcing overtime.
"We were a little tight early on," head coach Frank Serratore said. "But our competitive patience was good. We needed our power play to help us tonight and it did. We needed that goal on the five-minute major. Then that penalty kill at the end of regulation was huge."
Neither team scored in the first overtime as RMU had seven shots and Air Force had five. With just over 13 minutes left, Stitz took a shot that slipped through the RMU goalie and, as it was sitting on the goal line, Colonial defenseman Luke van Why cleared it out of danger.
Late in the second overtime, McCormick drew his second penalty of the game and the Falcons went on the power play. Cosentino won the ensuing faceoff and Hedden's shot was saved. Freshman Anthony Yu put back the rebound at 13:30 for his first career game-winner.
"We needed to win this game at home and we needed to advance," Serratore said. "I'm really proud of the guys. We had to come from behind twice tonight, but the guys stuck with it. Â We managed the game well in overtime. To measure our success for the season, we needed to win this game. Being able to win for our seniors on our home ice is something special."
Air Force had a season-high 54 shots. Robert Morris had 37. Guy Blessing made 34 saves for the Falcons while Croix Kochendorfer had 50 for the Colonials. RMU was 1-for-2 on the power play and Air Force was 2-for-4. The Falcons are 4-1-2 in their last seven games.
Air Force, the seventh seed, travels to No. 2 Sacred Heart for a three-game quarterfinal series, Friday-Sunday, March 7-9, in Fairfield, Conn. Air Force and Sacred Heart split a two-game series earlier this season in Fairfield, Jan. 3-4.
--30--
Â
Team Stats
RMU
AF
Shots
37
54
PPG
1
2
SHG
0
0
Penalties
3
2
Penalty Mins
9
4
Faceoffs Won
39
38
Game Leaders
+/-
0
Goals
1
Sh
7
A
1
+/-
0
Goals
1
Sh
3
A
1
+/-
0
Goals
0
Sh
4
A
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Ice HockeyF
/ Men's Ice HockeyD
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
D
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice HockeyTroy Calhoun and Players POST Wyoming
Sunday, October 19
Football Press Conference October 14, 2025
Tuesday, October 14
AFWSOC Class Competition Game Show
Tuesday, October 14
Football Press Conference - September 30th, 2025
Tuesday, September 30
