The Air Force Falcons face off against American International College in men’s hockey, Oct. 25, 2024. (U.S. Air Force Academy)
(Tribune News Service) — If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Air Force hockey entered play on Friday with three wins, all on come-from-behind efforts. While scoring first was a goal for the Falcons in Friday’s contest, late heroics from the service academy team was the story yet again as Air Force (4-3) toppled league foe American International College 2-1 in overtime.
Sophomore winger Brendan Gibbons scored a game-tying, extra attacker goal with 28 seconds left in regulation in the Falcons’ 4-3 overtime win against Arizona State Oct. 5.
He decided to repeat the feat Friday.
Gibbons beat AIC netminder Chase Clark with 15 seconds remaining in the third period to tie the game at one.
Then, senior captain and winger Austin Schwartz netted the game-winner for the Falcons just 64 seconds into the 3-on-3 overtime period.
Winning by turning a game on its head in the final 80 seconds isn’t optimal hockey, but Falcons coach Frank Serratore will take Air Force’s first-ever win at AIC’s Mass Mutual Center any way it comes. The Falcons were previously 0-7-1 at the venue.
“We need to go across the street to the casino. Our luck stock ain’t ever going to be higher than it is now,” Serratore said in a postgame radio interview. “This is no way to live. We need to try to change the formula but right now the formula’s working.”
With the win, the Falcons claimed their first two points toward Atlantic Hockey America standings this season.
The Yellow Jackets (0-4-1), who have yet to win a game this season, opened the scoring at 11:30 of the second period. Air Force senior goaltender Guy Blessing made a save on the 2-on-1 opportunity for AIC but the rebound bounced off the leg of Timofei Khokhlachev and in.
Blessing finished the contest with 25 saves. Clark had 17. AIC outshot Air Force 26-19.
The Falcons and Yellow Jackets conclude the series on Saturday at 11:05 a.m.
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