Before this season sophomore Alex Schilling had played exactly zero minutes in net for Air Force.

The Minnesota native sat patiently behind senior all-conference goaltender Billy Christopoulos and then-sophomore Zach LaRocque, and he told The Flight Path recently it might have been the best thing for him. He used the time to gain needed strength and work on his technique.

The results have spoken for themselves. Since starting his first game for the Falcons on Nov. 2 at Sacred Heart, he’s helped go 4-1-2 after their 0-7 start. Add in a couple of earlier relief appearances, and he’s fashioned a stingy 2.02 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.

Schilling graciously took time recently to speak with The Flight Path for our latest installment of One-timers.

Your athleticism in net is one attribute that jumps out. Did you play other sports growing up?

I did. I was a tennis player in high school. We won the team state championship my sophomore year in Minnesota.

Do you have family members with military background? If so, did that play a role in coming to the Academy?

My grandpa was in the Army Reserve, but that was the closest thing. I wanted a different experience where I could be challenged and be proud of where I could graduate from. That’s my “why” for the Academy.

Has there been a part of Academy life you’ve particularly enjoyed?

Obviously the hockey. I enjoyed the Expeditionary Survival Training I did last summer. We were outside a lot, pitching tents and hiking around. We had to be tactical. I thought that was pretty fun. I love the outdoors. (His mask pays homage to that).

Frank Serratore is not only your head coach, but he also works with the goaltenders. What is that like?

He does a great job with all four of the goalies. He knows what each guy needs to work on, which is great. When I came in last year, a big emphasis point to correct was I was staying too deep in the net. He got on me right away about challenging the shooter and challenging me to have more determination in my game, which has really helped me. He pushes us.

In addition to your positioning, I’ve been impressed by your ability to track the puck. Has that improved since you got to Air Force?

That’s something we work on in practice with Frank. There’s a goalie-specific drill with a couple of bodies in front. We have to get low. I use my athleticism to the best of my ability. That’s something I take pride in. I make it an emphasis point to always know where that puck is and try to anticipate where it’s going.

Do you have career path in mind?

I’m not totally sold on flying. It would be pretty cool, but I’m leaning more toward something on the business side of the Air Force.

The Academy is a breeding ground for leaders. So which Falcons teammate would make a good President?

Our captain Matt Pulver, he didn’t get that “C” for no reason. He’s a good leader. I’d follow him.

Do you have teammates that you’d rather not see come barreling down the ice with the puck and a clear shot at you during practice?

I’d say Kieran Durgan. We’ve got a great competitive relationship in practice. We like to chirp each other, but he’s got a pretty good shot. He loves it when he scores, and I love it when I stop him.

Are you particular about your routines or your gear?

I just switched my pads, which was a big deal for me. I was wearing CCMs for probably six years, and I just got into Vaughns this season. It’s a big change for me. I just felt like something needed to change, so I started with my pads. I don’t know if it was the smartest decision, but I love them so far.

Good starts are important in hockey and for one’s day. What is the breakfast of champions?

That slogan is for Wheaties, but I never eat Wheaties. So I’d say the classic bacon and eggs and some peanut butter toast.

Is there a team comedian we should know about?

We have some funny guys, but probably Brady Tomlak is the ringleader. He’s a jokester in the locker room. I always like that he keeps it light.

Now that Evan Feno has graduated, who has taken over the mantle of team DJ?

Erich Jaeger had a buddy that made our warm-up list, so that was nice. We have our own DJ there. Alex Mehnert actually is on DJ pregame. He’s doing pretty well so far.

Have you had a favorite experience thus far at the Academy?

Going to Notre Dame this season, playing a Big Ten team was really special. Last year, one of the most enjoyable parts was going into Army and getting those two wins. The football team was there and a couple of other teams were there. I’d never been part of an Air Force-Army game, so it was really a special experience.

We’d like to thank Alex for his time!

©First Line Editorial 2019