Air Force sweeps Atlantic Hockey’s top team

WALTHAM, Mass. – Dominik Wasik earned his fourth shutout of the season, and second in the last three games, as Air Force blanked Bentley, 2-0, in the final regular-season game of the season, Saturday, Feb. 28, in Waltham, Mass.

Bentley, the regular season champions, were swept for the first time all season in conference play. Air Force finished the season as the No. 6 seed, earning a first-round bye. The Falcons will travel to third-seed Robert Morris for a best-of-three series, Friday-Sunday, March 6-8, in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The game was scoreless after two periods until the Falcons broke through early in the third. Jake Peterson chipped the puck through the neutral zone starting a 2-on-1 rush. Sam Stitz's shot was saved but Will Dawson put back the rebound at 1:13 of the third. Midway through the period, Aidan Willis sent a puck in deep that was played by Bentley goalie Lukas Swedin. Falcon winger Anthony Yu met Swedin behind the net and sent the puck out front. Willis scored in the open net, his third of the season, at 9:42. Bentley pulled the goalie late, but was unable to get anything past Wasik.

"I'm so proud of our guys," head coach Frank Serratore said. "We just stayed with the game until something positive happened for us and that is how this played out. That was fast and furious hockey. This was a great hockey game. If we continue to play like that, we will be a tough out in the playoffs. What we accomplished here this weekend, there should be no doubt in anybody's minds that we can have success against anyone. This was a lot of fun and it was a special weekend for us."

Air Force outshot Bentley, 28-25. Bentley was 0-for-1 on the power play and killed all three of Air Force's man-advantages. Swedin made 26 saves for Bentley. Wasik stopped all 25 shots he faced.

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