Each week during the Atlantic Hockey season, AFAFlightPath.com will take a look at Air Force’s upcoming opponent. This time it’s Bentley.
This weekend’s games
Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m. at Cadet Ice Arena
Records
Bentley 4-5 (23 GF, 33 GA); Air Force 2-5-1 (17 GF, 38 GA)
Overview
Air Force can exact a small measure of revenge vs. the team that knocked it out of the Atlantic Hockey playoffs in the first round last season. … Bentley, also nicknamed the Falcons, has had similar results to Air Force thus far in the 2021-22 campaign. Bentley also knocked off a Big 10 team by a goal (Ohio State, 2-1) and has split its AHA contests (2-2, including last weekend vs. Canisius). When it’s good, it’s really good – it knocked off Boston College, 6-2 on Oct. 16. When it’s not, it can get drummed, having given up six or more goals three times in losses. … If leading scorer Phil Knies‘ name rings a bell with Colorado hockey fans, it should. He played some of his youth hockey for the Colorado Thunderbirds before spending his first four seasons of NCAA hockey at Miami. He is one of 11 seniors – and five grad students – on Bentley. … Bentley has played three goalies, but sophomore Nicholas Grabko (3-3, 3.44, .904) and junior Jason Grande (1-1, 3.19, .894) have played the most. … Sophomore defenseman Drew Bavaro is Bentley’s leading goal scorer with five.
Air Force trends
- Bonus hockey! The Falcons are 2-0-1 in overtime games, and they won the lone shootout they have been in (last Saturday at Niagara).
- Score first! It’s only happened once all season, in the first game against Colorado College (a 5-4 victory).
- Make every day a Friday! The Falcons have been beasts on Friday’s. Their first two wins came on that day; they played well against Denver in the Friday game; and they could have won last Friday at Niagara. AFA has been outscored 14-12 on Friday’s but 24-5 on Saturdays – and three of those goals came last Saturday.
- Keep it balanced. Six players are within a point of being AFA’s leading scorer. Freshman center Clayton Cosentino and junior defenseman Brandon Koch are the leaders with five points, but top goal scorers Will Gavin (4) and Nate Horn (3) are right on their heels in a group that also includes co-captain Luke Rowe and assistant captain Willie Reim, who has not played the past four games due to an injury.
©First Line Editorial 2021
