Ryan Boldrey
With a 4-3 victory
over Holy Cross in front of the seventh consecutive sellout crowd
at Cadet Ice Arena on Feb. 20, Air Force (21-8-2, 18-5-2) kept pace
with first-place RIT (20-10-1, 19-5-1) in the race for the 2009
Atlantic Hockey Association championship.
over Holy Cross in front of the seventh consecutive sellout crowd
at Cadet Ice Arena on Feb. 20, Air Force (21-8-2, 18-5-2) kept pace
with first-place RIT (20-10-1, 19-5-1) in the race for the 2009
Atlantic Hockey Association championship.
“We won the game
because of our depth,” head coach Frank Serratore said. “Our third
and fourth lines as well as [Derrick] Burnett and [Matt] Fairchild
won the game for us.”
because of our depth,” head coach Frank Serratore said. “Our third
and fourth lines as well as [Derrick] Burnett and [Matt] Fairchild
won the game for us.”
There was no doubt
that the Falcons third and fourth line players limited Holy Cross’
chances, keeping them at 0-for-7 on the power play, as well as
preventing any opportunities for quality shots down the
stretch.
that the Falcons third and fourth line players limited Holy Cross’
chances, keeping them at 0-for-7 on the power play, as well as
preventing any opportunities for quality shots down the
stretch.
After the Crusaders
(10-16-5, 9-13-3) cut the Air Force lead to 4-3 with 5 minutes, 39
seconds to play in the third, Serratore decided to stick with, as
he said, the guys that got him there and not the guys who allowed
Holy Cross to get back in it.
(10-16-5, 9-13-3) cut the Air Force lead to 4-3 with 5 minutes, 39
seconds to play in the third, Serratore decided to stick with, as
he said, the guys that got him there and not the guys who allowed
Holy Cross to get back in it.
“Our supposed have-not
guys were the ones that got it done for us. They were the ones that
through the course of the game I was just looking at and saying
‘who do you trust here?’”
guys were the ones that got it done for us. They were the ones that
through the course of the game I was just looking at and saying
‘who do you trust here?’”
There was a time when
it looked like Air Force was going to blow the Crusaders right out
of the building, and Serratore had nothing but praises for the
Falcons play early on. After all, heading into the first
intermission his guys were up 3-1 and Jacques Lamoureux had a pair
of assists and his NCAA leading 26th goal to show.
it looked like Air Force was going to blow the Crusaders right out
of the building, and Serratore had nothing but praises for the
Falcons play early on. After all, heading into the first
intermission his guys were up 3-1 and Jacques Lamoureux had a pair
of assists and his NCAA leading 26th goal to show.
The Falcons, who also
had goals from Josh Frider and Tim Kirby in the first, went up 4-1
on an unassisted goal from Fairchild with 7:03 to go in the
second.
had goals from Josh Frider and Tim Kirby in the first, went up 4-1
on an unassisted goal from Fairchild with 7:03 to go in the
second.
The third period
however, albeit starting off slow and somewhat lifeless, belonged
for the most part to Holy Cross. The Crusaders netted goals at the
11:36 and 14:21 marks to trim things to one, but Air Force shut
them down from there.
however, albeit starting off slow and somewhat lifeless, belonged
for the most part to Holy Cross. The Crusaders netted goals at the
11:36 and 14:21 marks to trim things to one, but Air Force shut
them down from there.
“When we get teams
down like that we really have to put them away,” Lamoureux said.
“We’ve just got to bear down… The bottom line though is it is two
points in the standings and we are in position still for a league
championship.”
down like that we really have to put them away,” Lamoureux said.
“We’ve just got to bear down… The bottom line though is it is two
points in the standings and we are in position still for a league
championship.”
With just three games
to go for each team, the Tigers, who beat Army 3-2 on Feb. 20,
remain one point ahead of the Falcons. The two teams will wrap up
their weekend series with Holy Cross and Army respectively Feb. 21
and conclude their regular seasons Feb. 27 and 28 in Rochester,
N.Y. against each other with the league title indefinitely at
stake.
to go for each team, the Tigers, who beat Army 3-2 on Feb. 20,
remain one point ahead of the Falcons. The two teams will wrap up
their weekend series with Holy Cross and Army respectively Feb. 21
and conclude their regular seasons Feb. 27 and 28 in Rochester,
N.Y. against each other with the league title indefinitely at
stake.
The puck will drop in
the Falcons’ regular-season home finale between Air Force and Holy
Cross Feb. 21 at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are completely sold out, marking
what will be the Falcons eighth straight sellout and 11th of the
year; both of which are academy records for any sport.
the Falcons’ regular-season home finale between Air Force and Holy
Cross Feb. 21 at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are completely sold out, marking
what will be the Falcons eighth straight sellout and 11th of the
year; both of which are academy records for any sport.