| Air Force Falcons ice hockey | |
 Current season | |
 | |
| University | United States Air Force Academy |
|---|---|
| Conference | AHA |
| First season | 1968–69 |
| Head coach | Frank Serratore 24th season, 407–368–92 (.522) |
| Captain(s) | Dylan Abood |
| Alternate captain(s) | Phil Boje, Tyler Ledford, and Erik Baskin |
| Arena | Cadet Ice Arena Capacity: 2,470 Surface: 200' x 85' |
| Location | USAF Academy, Colorado |
| Colors | Blue and Silver[1] |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
| 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018 | |
| Conference Tournament championships | |
| 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018 | |
| Conference regular season championships | |
| 2008–09, 2011–12 | |
| Current uniform | |
 | |
The Air Force Falcons men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the United States Air Force Academy. The Falcons are a member of Atlantic Hockey America. They play at the Cadet Ice Arena in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs.[2]
History[]
Independent[]
The Air Force Academy's ice hockey program began as a club team in 1966, led by former Michigan head coach and six-time national champion Vic Heyliger. The program grew swiftly and posted a winning record by its third season. In their fourth season, the team posted an impressive 25-6 mark and had the nation's leading scorer on the roster, Dave Skalko. When Heyliger retired in 1974, turning the team over to John Matchefts, the success continued with two more 20+ win seasons in three years. By the time the 1980 rolled around, however, the team's on-ice results began to flag and after a pair of disappointing, single-digit-win seasons Matchefts pushed his team to a .500-record before turning control over to the program's all-time leading scorer. Chuck Delich led the program for the 12 seasons, posting moderate results for most of his tenure, but as the 20th century drew to a close, the Falcons' days as a plucky Independent were numbered.
CHA[]
In 1997, former Denver head coach Frank Serratore was hired to replace Delich and recorded two 15-win seasons before Everything changed for the Falcons. In 1999, Air Force became a funding member of the CHA, joining with the other service academy Army and five other newly-minted Division I teams. Despite the other programs having little history of success, Air Force was unable to make much headway in the conference, with the best finish being 4th out of 7 teams in their inaugural year. Army left the conference after only one year, leaving the conference with only six programs, and the Falcons found themselves as one of the worst. Air Force finished in 5th- or 6th-place for four consecutive seasons and threw in a pair of 4th-place marks for good measure. Despite their regular season woes, the Falcons did achieve some success in the CHA tournament, reaching the semifinals three times despite being an underdog. By 2006, however, it became apparent that the CHA was in trouble. The Falcons left the CHA and were accepted into the Atlantic Hockey Association, rejoining Army in the same conference.
Atlantic Hockey Association[]
The change seemed to suit the Falcons, who posted their first winning season in 7 years. In the conference tournament, Air Force defeated Holy Cross 3-0 before stunning #1 seeded Sacred Heart 5-4 in overtime. In the championship match, the Falcons took on Army and routed the Black Knights 6-1 to win the program's first conference championship and receive their first bid into the NCAA tournament. Though they lost to Minnesota in the opening round, the success would continue for the next two years with two additional Atlantic Hockey tournament titles and culminated with a 28-win season in 2009 where they won their first regular season conference title and NCAA tournament game. After a middling season in 2010, the Falcons posted back-to-back conference championships but failed to escape the first round in either season. Air Force spent the mid-teens rebuilding their program, and it came to a head in 2017 with their sixth Atlantic Hockey crown. The Falcons played so well over the course of the season that there was some talk of them making the NCAA tournament even if they were to lose the Atlantic Hockey championship (an exceedingly rare occurrence for Atlantic Hockey Teams).[3] Their second quarterfinal appearance was followed by another in 2018, where they were outplayed by eventual champion Minnesota–Duluth until the final period.[4]
Atlantic Hockey America[]
After the 2023–24 season, the Association merged with the women-only College Hockey America to form Atlantic Hockey America. All members of both predecessor leagues, including Air Force, became members of Atlantic Hockey America.
Season-by-season results[]
All-time coaching records[]
As of June 15, 2020
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–Present | Frank Serratore | 23 | 407–368–92 | .522 |
| 1985–1997 | Chuck Delich | 12 | 154–197–19 | .442 |
| 1974–1985 | John Matchefts | 11 | 154–150–6 | .506 |
| 1968–1974 | Vic Heyliger | 6 | 85–77–3 | .524 |
| Totals | 4 coaches | 52 seasons | 800-792-120 | .502 |
Players[]
U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame[]
The following individuals have been inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.[6]
- Vic Heyliger (1974)
- John Matchefts (1991)
Lowes' Senior CLASS Award[]
- Jacques Lamoureux (2011)
- Kyle Haak (2019)
Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award[]
- Mike Phillipich (2009)
- Dylan Abood (2018)
Scoring Champion[]
- Dave Skalko (1972)
- Eric Ehn (2007)
- Jacques Lamoureux (2009)
- Tim Kirby (2012)
Player of the year[]
- Marc Kielkucki (2001)
- Eric Ehn (2007)
- Jacques Lamoureux (2009)
Rookie of the year[]
- Andy Berg (2000)
Student-Athlete of the year[]
- Scott Bradley (2001)
- Brian Gornick (2002)
- Mike Polidor (2004)
Best Defensive Player[]
- Blair Bartlett (2006)
Best Defenseman[]
- Greeg Flynn (2009)
- Tim Kirby (2012)
- Adam McKenzie (2013)
- Ben Carey (2016)
Individual Sportsmanship Award[]
- Jason Fabian (2014)
- Ben Carey(2016)
Regular Season Goaltending Award[]
- Shane Starett (2016)
- Billy Christopoulos (2018, 2019)
Coach of the Year[]
- Frank Serratore (2016)
Tournament MVP[]
- Mike Phillipich (2007)
- Brent Olson (2008)
- Matt Fairchild (2009)
- Jacques Lamoureux (2011)
- Jason Torf (2012)
- Shane Starrett (2017)
- Billy Christopoulos (2018)
NCAA All-Americans[]
The following Air Force Falcons men's ice hockey players have been chosen as Second Team Division I All-Americans by the American Hockey Coaches Association.[12]
- Eric Ehn (2007)
- Jacques Lamoureux (2009)
- Tim Kirby (2012)
All–CHA Team[]
First Team[]
The following Air Force Falcons men's ice hockey players have been chosen as First Team All-CHA.[13]
- Marc Kielkucki (2001)
- Brian Gornick (2001)
- Derek Olson (2002)
Second Team[]
- Brian Gornick (2000)
- Andy Berg (2001, 2003)
- Brian Gineo (2005)
- Michael Mayra (2006)
- Eric Ehn (2006)
Rookie Team[]
- Andy Berg (2000)
- Joe Locallo (2001)
- Zach Sikich (2002)
- Matt Charbonneau (2005)
- Eric Ehn (2005)
- Michael Mayra (2006)
All–Atlantic Hockey Association Team[]
First Team[]
The following Air Force Falcons men's ice hockey players have been chosen as First Team All-Atlantic Hockey.[14]
- Eric Ehn (2007)
- Andrew Volkening (2009)
- Greg Flynn (2009)
- Jacques Lamoureux (2009, 2010)
- Tim Kirby (2010, 2012)
- Scott Mathis (2011, 2012)
- Adam McKenzie (2013)
- Shane Starrett (2016)
- Phil Boje (2017)
- Billy Christopoulos (2019)
Second Team[]
- Andrew Ramsey (2007)
- Greg Flynn (2008)
- Andrew Volkening (2010)
- Jacques Lamoureux (2011)
- John Kruse (2012)
- Adam McKenzie (2014)
- Cole Gunner (2014, 2015)
- Johnny Hrabovsky (2016)
- Jordan Himley (2017)
Third Team[]
- Eric Ehn (2008)
- Tim Kirby (2011)
- Shane Starrett (2017)
- Billy Christopoulos (2018)
Rookie Team[]
- Scott Mathis (2009)
- Jason Torf (2010)
- Adam McKenzie (2010)
- Chris Truehl (2014)
- Shane Starrett (2016)
- Matt Serratore (2016)
Current Players in the NHL[]
Goalie Shane Starrett signed an Entry Level Contract with the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL on April 10, 2017. He is currently the only Air Force Falcons Men's Ice Hockey player to be in the NHL or respected affiliates.
Statistical Leaders[]
Career Scoring leaders[]
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Years | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck Delich | 1973–1977 | 109 | 156 | 123 | 279 | 151 |
| Bob Sajevic | 1976–1980 | 113 | 107 | 121 | 228 | 54 |
| Dave Skalko | 1969–1973 | 118 | 75 | 144 | 219 | 208 |
| Bob Ross | 1968–1972 | 106 | 105 | 92 | 197 | 41 |
| Gary Batinich | 1974–1978 | 104 | 82 | 114 | 196 | 107 |
| Tom Richards | 1978–1982 | 118 | 78 | 90 | 168 | 54 |
| Mike Smellie | 1976–1980 | 103 | 77 | 89 | 166 | 56 |
| Frank Daldine | 1983–1986 | 109 | 79 | 77 | 156 | 75 |
| Dave Bunker | 1970–1974 | 109 | 82 | 70 | 152 | 118 |
| Robin Robideaux | 1975–1979 | 108 | 68 | 84 | 152 | 200 |
Career Goaltending Leaders[]
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Minimum 35 games
| Player | Years | GP | Min | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Starrett | 2015–17 | 70 | 3918 | 128 | 9 | .924 | 1.96 |
| Andrew Volkening | 2006–10 | 127 | 7370 | 269 | 15 | .915 | 2.19 |
| Stephen Caple | 2009–12 | 36 | 1792 | 66 | 2 | .908 | 2.21 |
| Jason Torf | 2010–14 | 115 | 6561 | 269 | 10 | .915 | 2.46 |
| Chris Truehl | 2013–15 | 50 | 2745 | 124 | 3 | .900 | 2.71 |
Statistics current through the start of the 2017-18 season.
Current roster[]
As of August 31, 2020.[16]}
| # | S/P/C | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 
|
Andrew Kruse | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1998-12-06 | Delano, Minnesota | Minnesota Magicians (NAHL) | — |
| 3 | 
|
Jake Levin (C) | Senior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1997-02-03 | Mequon, Wisconsin | Odessa (NAHL) | — |
| 4 | 
|
Luke Rowe | Sophomore | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1998-08-08 | Succasunna, New Jersey | Boston Jr. Bruins (NCDC) | — |
| 6 |
|
Alex Mehnert (A) | Senior | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1997-06-15 | Moorhead, Minnesota | Omaha (USHL) | — |
| 7 | 
|
Brian Adams | Freshman | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1999-12-07 | San Ramon, California | Wenatchee (BCHL) | — |
| 8 | 
|
Marshall Bowery | Senior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1996-11-17 | Rochester Hills, Michigan | Topeka (NAHL) | — |
| 11 |
|
Max Harper | Senior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 1996-09-29 | Rochester Hills, Michigan | Topeka (NAHL) | — |
| 12 | 
|
Blake Bride | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1998-04-22 | Broomfield, Colorado | Sioux Falls (USHL) | — |
| 13 |
|
Keenan Lund | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1998-08-03 | Sartell, Minnesota | Minot (NAHL) | — |
| 14 |
|
Jacob Marti | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1999-06-10 | Highlands Ranch, Colorado | Bismarck (NAHL) | — |
| 15 |
|
Bennett Norlin | Sophomore | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1998-10-26 | Farmington, Minnesota | West Kelowna (BCHL) | — |
| 16 |
|
Sam Brennan | Freshman | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2000-01-16 | Brighton, Michigan | Lone Star (NAHL) | — |
| 17 | 
|
Parker Brown | Freshman | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 155 lb (70 kg) | 1999-09-08 | Hanahan, South Carolina | Fairbanks (NAHL) | — |
| 18 |
|
Ty Pochipinski | Junior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 1998-06-05 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Penticton (BCHL) | — |
| 19 |
|
Luke Manning | Sophomore | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1999-04-13 | Stillwater, Minnesota | Des Moines (USHL) | — |
| 20 |
|
Brandon Koch | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1999-01-18 | Hastings, Minnesota | Wenatchee (BCHL) | — |
| 23 |
|
Willie Reim | Sophomore | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 1999-01-11 | North Oaks, Minnesota | West Kelowna (BCHL) | — |
| 24 |
|
Nate Horn | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 1999-03-02 | Elk River, Minnesota | Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL) | — |
| 26 |
|
Noah Kim | Freshman | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2000-05-09 | Fullerton, California | Okotoks (AJHL) | — |
| 27 | 
|
Luke Robinson | Freshman | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2000-02-16 | Nashville, Tennessee | Dubuque (USHL) | — |
| 29 | 
|
Shawn Knowlton (A) | Senior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 1996-08-14 | Slingerlands, New York | Aberdeen (NAHL) | — |
| 30 |
|
Erik Anderson | Senior | G | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1996-06-10 | Chanhassen, Minnesota | Pikes Peak (RMJHL) | — |
| 31 |
|
Zach LaRocque | Senior | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1997-01-26 | Arvada, Colorado | Cedar Rapids (USHL) | — |
| 33 |
|
Alex Schilling | Junior | G | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1997-12-23 | Medina, Minnesota | Austin (NAHL) | — |
| 34 |
|
Thomas Daskas | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1999-09-03 | Rochester, Michigan | Lone Star (NAHL) | — |
| 37 | 
|
Will Gavin | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1999-10-21 | Durham, Connecticut | Northern (NCDC) | — |
| 41 |
|
Austin Park | Sophomore | G | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 1998-06-05 | Highlands Ranch, Colorado | Wenatchee (BCHL) | — |
| 47 |
|
Dalton Weigel | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 1999-12-30 | Bloomington, Minnesota | Aberdeen (NAHL) | — |
| 51 |
|
Maiszon Balboa | Freshman | G | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2000-04-18 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Shreveport (NAHL) | — |
| 74 | 
|
Zack Mirageas (C) | Senior | D | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1997-07-15 | Newburyport, Massachusetts | Bloomington (USHL) | — |
References[]
- ↑ AF Branding & Trademark Licensing > About Us > The Air Force Symbol > Display Guidelines. Retrieved on May 16, 2018.
- ↑ Air Force Falcons Men's Hockey. U.S. College Hockey Online. Retrieved on April 8, 2011.
- ↑ "What I Believe – Monday Edition", USCHO.com, 2017-03-13. Retrieved on 2018-08-20.
- ↑ "Minnesota Duluth earns second straight Frozen Four berth with victory over Air Force", USCHO.com, 2018-03-24. Retrieved on 2018-08-20.
- ↑ Air Force Hockey 2018-19 Record Book. Air Force Falcons. Retrieved on December 20, 2018.
- ↑ The Record Book. University of Michigan (September 22, 2009). Retrieved on August 11, 2010.
- ↑ "Hockey Senior CLASS Award", NCAA.org. Retrieved on 2018-07-09.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "CHA Awards", College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved on 2013-07-31.
- ↑ "AWARDS - NCAA (AHA) PLAYER OF THE YEAR", Elite Prospects. Retrieved on 2018-04-23.
- ↑ "Awards - NCAA (AHA) Best Defenseman", Elite Prospects. Retrieved on 2018-07-09.
- ↑ "Awards - NCAA (AHA) Tournament MVP", Elite Prospects. Retrieved on 2018-07-09.
- ↑ Men's Award Winners. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved on August 9, 2010.
- ↑ "All-CHA Teams", College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved on 2013-08-01.
- ↑ "All-Atlantic Hockey Teams", College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved on 2013-07-20.
- ↑ Air Force Falcons Men's Hockey 2017-2018 Record Book. Air Force Falcons (2018-08-17).
- ↑ 2020–21 Ice Hockey Roster. U.S. Air Force Academy Athletics. Retrieved on October 20, 2012.
External links[]
| Air Force Falcons men's ice hockey | |
|---|---|
| Playing venues | Cadet Ice Arena (1968–present) |
| Head coaches | Vic Heyliger (1968–74) - John Matchefts (1974–85) - Chuck Delich (1985–97) - Frank Serratore (1997–present) |
| Seasons | - 2013–14 - 2014–15 - 2015–16 - 2016–17 - 2017–18 - 2018–19 - 2019–20 - 2020-21 - 2021-22 - 2022-23 |
| Conference affiliations | Independent (1968–99) - College Hockey America (1999–2006) - Atlantic Hockey (2006–present) |
| Rivalries | Army Black Knights (Air Force–Army men's ice hockey rivalry) - Colorado College Tigers - Battle for Pikes Peak |
| All-time leaders | Chuck Delich (279 Points) - Chuck Delich (156 Goals) - Andrew Volkening (69 Wins) |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2011 - 2012 - 2017 - 2018 |
| Conference Tournament titles | Atlantic Hockey: 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2011 - 2012 - 2017 - 2018 |
| United States Air Force Academy - Colorado Springs, CO | |
| Atlantic Hockey | |
|---|---|
| Teams (arenas) | Air Force (Cadet Ice Arena) - American International (MassMutual Center) - Army (Tate Rink) - Bentley (Bentley Arena) - Canisius (LECOM Harborcenter) - Holy Cross (Hart Center) - Mercyhurst (Mercyhurst Ice Center) - Niagara (Dwyer Arena) - RIT (Gene Polisseni Center) - Robert Morris (Clearview Arena) - Sacred Heart (Martire Family Arena) |
| Seasons | 2003–04 - 2004–05 - 2005–06 - 2006–07 - 2007–08 - 2008–09 - 2009–10 - 2010–11 - 2011–12 - 2012–13 - 2013–14 - 2014–15 - 2015–16 - 2016–17 - 2017–18 - 2018–19 - 2019–20 - 2020–21 - 2021–22- 2022–23 - 2023–24 |
| Awards | All-Atlantic Hockey Team - Player of the Year - Rookie of the Year - Coach of the Year - Best Defensive Forward - Best Defenseman - Individual Sportsmanship - Regular Season Goaltending Award - Regular Season Scoring Trophy - Most Valuable Player in Tournament - All-Tournament Team |
| NCAA - List of champions - Harborcenter (conference tournament site) | |