If you happened to tune into one of Air Force’s exhibition games vs. the USNTDP U18 team this past weekend you caught a glimpse of a future Falcon.

Center Clay Cosentino, a Falcons commit who will come to the Academy next fall, was called up by the NTDP for the series because the program was dealing with a host of injuries.

It was a well deserved – and rare – call-up said his junior coach, Scott Langer. Cosentino leads the Aberdeen Wings of the North American Hockey League with 24 points through 14 games.

“They reached out to Clay,” Langer said. “It was a no-brainer for him to take part. To play with such a great organization, in front of the coaches he’ll play for in the facility he’ll play in, I’ve never seen that in 22 years of coaching.”

Cosentino acquitted himself well, winning 10 of 17 face-offs combined in the two games and getting an assist on the NTDP’s first goal in the second game.

If his name sounds familiar to Colorado hockey fans, it should. The 2000 birth year played two seasons of U18 hockey for the Colorado Rampage, just up the road from the Academy in Monument. The proximity and his love for Colorado were big factors in his commitment to Air Force.

“I had never played at Cadet Arena, but I watched a lot of games there,” Cosentino said. “It was one of my first choices. Seeing the arena, living in Colorado, I knew I wanted to play in Colorado. I love the area. Knowing what Air Force is all about, it rose to the top.”

And what are the Falcons going to get with Cosentino? For one, a 6-foot-2, almost 200-pound center who plays nearly the half the game for his junior team. For another, a fantastic leader (joining an already strong collection of them).

“He makes guys around him better,” Langer said. “He’s very smart and makes the right decisions all the time. He allows us to play some guys with him who are all offense because he’s so responsible.

“There was no question in my mind when he came back he would be our captain. He handles himself so well.”

Extended break

The Falcons gained some extra down time when Sacred Heart pulled out of the teams’ Atlantic Hockey Association series scheduled for this weekend. Officially, the series was cancelled.

The break should help Air Force, which has had a depleted roster due to injuries. The Falcons hit the ground running in January, playing four games in a span of six days on the road, first at Niagara, then at Mercyhurst. Get on a heater, and the 0-4 start will be a distant memory.

Strong first impressions

I had an opportunity to watch the second Robert Morris game in person and have seen most of the rest of the Falcons’ games online. It’s early but a few newcomers have stood out to me.

That list would start with center Thomas Daskas, who leads the Falcons with three points, and continue with defenseman Sam Brennan, a junior teammate of Daskas’ at Lone Star (NAHL). The 6-2 Daskas has a creative flair, while Brennan has an excellent offensive intuitiveness. Forwards Will Gavin and Nate Horn have carved out top-six roles, while center Jacob Marti was noticeable against the NTDP.

Among returning players, two sophomore forwards – Willie Reim and Bennett Norlin have jumped out. The continued development of those two, along with fellow sophomore Blake Bride, will be crucial going forward.

Net gains

The strong relief appearances by senior Zach LaRocque against Robert Morris (28 saves on 29 shots over parts of two games) confirmed the Falcons again will have plenty of goaltending depth. I would expect junior Alex Schilling to continue to be the man going forward, but LaRocque clearly could come in and win games if need be.

©First Line Editorial 2020