No chance? Not so fast.
Down 3-0, being outshot by a 2-to-1 ratio by Atlantic Hockey’s three-time defending champion and missing two of its most important players, Air Force could have raised the white flag after two periods at Springfield, Mass. But that didn’t happen Sunday.
The Falcons scored three times in the first six minutes of the third period to tie the score before AIC regrouped and struck with 4:57 left to pull out a 4-3 Atlantic Hockey victory and a series sweep.
Air Force (5-11-2, 3-7-2 AHA) was playing without co-captain Luke Rowe, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Saturday night’s 5-2 loss. Fellow co-captain Alex Schilling was pulled from the net after AIC (6-9-1, 6-4) scored three goals on the first 10 shots, a span of 14:04.
That’s how things stood until assistant captain Willie Reim scored 47 seconds into the third period to start the rally. Reim’s goal was his seventh of the season, tying him for the team lead with Will Gavin.
Sophomore defenseman Sam Brennan then scored twice in a 2:38 span. Brennan’s first goal came after Jake Marti controlled the puck in the AIC zone, circling around the net. He drove into the slot then dropped a pass to Brennan who cashed in at 3:20. His second came on a power play when he fired away from the high slot. Reim initially was credited with the goal.
In the meantime, freshman goaltender Guy Blessing stopped 21 of 22 shots he faced. The one he didn’t stop was one he didn’t have much chance at. Yellowjackets forward Justin Cole controlled the puck along the wall and then threaded a pass through the slot to Austen Long, who had jumped in on the weak side, that Long wasted no time finishing.
Notes: Brennan has a team-high 13 points, including four goals, after not scoring a point during his freshman season. … The Falcons were outshot 31-20 for the game. … Air Force killed off all five AIC power plays, while scoring on one of their five. … Freshman Drake Usher subbed into the lineup for Rowe.
©First Line Editorial 2022
