How wide is the gap between Air Force and the top of the Atlantic Hockey Conference?

On Friday night at Cadet Arena it seemed pretty wide – three goals to be exact. That was the margin by which Niagara toppled the Falcons, 6-3.

The reasons for the rout were numerous, but it started with willingness, Falcons coach Frank Serratore said.

“We got what we deserved,” he said. “They were a bigger, stronger, much more willing team.

“We have to be willing to get pucks out, willing to win races to pucks, to chip pucks out to the neutral zone. We just weren’t very willing. We didn’t have a lot of bite.”

The game turned in a 2:18 stretch midway through the second period when already leading 3-2, Niagara got goals from both special teams units.

Johnny Curran completed a beautiful tic-tac-toe play while the Purple Eagles were on the power play. Derian Plouffe passed from just below the right dot, Tanner Lomsnes tipped it across to an open Curran on the lower left circle, and Curran fired it past Billy Christopoulos.

The play summed up an issue that plagued the Falcons much of the game – poor weakside coverage and losing races to pucks.

The Purple Eagles ended Christopoulos’ night at the 10-minute mark when Plouffe scored the first of his two goals. Eric Cooley stole the puck in the Falcons’ zone and immediately put it on Christopoulos, he made the first save, but Plouffe beat the defense to the rebound and scored.

Christopoulos, so solid during the first 16 games, allowed a season-high five goals on 15 shots and was replaced by freshman Zack LaRocque (11 saves), who made his NCAA debut.

“Billy’s been there for us all year, sometimes it’s just not your night,” said senior assistant captain Tyler Ledford. “We weren’t playing very good defense. … Our net-front D, both forwards and D,  weren’t tying up sticks. So yeah, we hung him out to dry a little bit.

“We knew that was going to come if we kept relying on him so much. We need to step it up for him tomorrow. Hopefully he’ll be back in.”

The teams traded third-period goals – first Plouffe’s then Evan Giesler‘s diving score with 5:21 left. Matt Serratore initiated the play with a thunderous offensive zone hit, he collected the loose puck and fed Ben Kucera in the high slot. His shot came loose to Brian Wilson‘s left and Giesler dove and got it past him.

The Falcons actually outshot the visitors by 16 (43-27), but they missed several chances to get to or finish rebounds.

“Our offense was pretty good,” Ledford said. “We had 42, 43 shots and three goals, that can get you a win most nights.”

The game started wide open as the teams combined for 27 first-period shots, 17 by the Falcons, and five goals – three by Niagara.

It marked Christopoulos’ worst period since he allowed three in the third period of a 4-1 loss at Bemidji State on Oct. 20. Four of the five goals came on rebounds.

Eric Cooley started a trend when he poked the puck past Christopoulos after Noah Delmas fired away from the right point. The rebound stayed in the blue paint and Cooley outworked a defenseman to get to it.

Just 34 seconds later, Erik Baskin evened it up when he buried a rebound from the right doorstep past Wilson at 8:40 for his sixth goal of the season.

Lomsnes gave the Purple Eagles the lead for good when he batted a rebound that deflected off Matt Koch‘s stick out of mid-air and into the net with 8:05 to play in the first. It was his team-high 11th goal.

A poke check by Falcons defenseman Phil Boje ricocheted  back into the high slot 2 minutes later, and Niagara defenseman Niko Kovachis wasted no time scoring his first goal on a blast just above the circles.

Air Force got one back late in the first when Jordan Himley cashed in a rebound of a Boje rocket from the point with 2:07 to go for his fifth goal.

“(We need better) mental focus and preparation,” Giesler said. “We knew what they were going to bring to the table. They’re a very unpredictable team in that you don’t know where they’re going to come from, but you know they’re going to come.

“We have to be ready for their pressure and aggressiveness, and we have to match their intensity.”

Welcome back Leddy

Overshadowed in the defeat was Ledford’s return after a nine-game absence due to a knee injury.

The center picked up the primary assist on Baskin’s goal and took 24 face-offs (winning half) – by far the most among the Falcons.

“I feel good, the knee feels good. (I’m) a little out of shape but the knee feels stable,” Ledford said. “It felt a lot better than I thought it was going to.

“As my shifts got longer it started to go downhill because I’m just getting back into hockey shape.”

He said he felt well enough to play last week at Sacred Heart but the staff wanted him to participate in a full week of practice.

Air Force’s three stars

1. Tyler Ledford. He played with as much energy as anyone for the Falcons and picked up an assist.
2. Evan Giesler. His all-out effort on a diving goal gave the Falcons a glimmer of hope late.
3. Ben Kucera. He set up Giesler’s goal and was the only Falcons center on the plus side of the face-off ledger (6-4).

The last word

“Don’t kid yourself. That’s as good as any team we’ve played,” Frank Serratore said. “We need more willing participants.

“(Saturday) night is a big night for us. We have to be willing to win races. We need everyone on board.”

Up next

The teams start two hours earlier than usual on Saturday, 5:05 p.m., at Cadet Arena.