One big question facing the Air Force hockey team in the second half is will it find the consistency it needs to climb in the Atlantic Hockey race and potentially host a quarterfinal series.

After 18 games, including 12 in the conference, the answer remains a mystery. The Falcons have stretches within games when they appear nearly unbeatable, although those typically have been when they’re trying to overcome a deficit. They have stretches when their special teams are outstanding, and others when they’re not. You get the idea.

Given how much better the Falcons play at home (4-5-1 vs. 1-6-1 on the road), having home playoff games is important. Eight of their 14 remaining regular-season games are at home.

A weekend series has six periods, so here are six points that have stood out after watching nearly every game either in person or online this season.

First period

Let’s start with the starts. They have not been very good. Just four times in 18 games have the Falcons scored the first goal. That means they’re chasing the scoreboard almost every night.

In the four games they’ve struck first, they’re 3-0-1. When they don’t they’re 2-11-1. As if that weren’t daunting enough, they’ve been outscored a cumulative 26-9 in the first period – by far their worst 20 minutes.

The good news is they’re much better in seconds but still outscored 24-19. The better news is they’re great in overtime, having won twice and earning extra AHA points in shootouts two other times.

Bottom line: The starts have to improve.

Second period

Air Force scored just five goals in its first four non-conference games. It has 38 in the past 14, or nearly three per. The offense has shown more life in the past two series, combining for 13 goals in four games.

The Falcons have three or more goals in half of their games, but they’ve also been held to one or no goals in six games. At times it’s feast or famine for the young birds.

Bottom line: The offense should get better.

Third period

The production is spread out, which is not uncommon for an Air Force team, and that can make them difficult to defend.

The top line of Willie Reim (12 points, 7 goals), Andrew DeCarlo (10 points, 9 assists) and Nate Horn (7 points) has 29 points. Line No. 2 of Will Gavin (8 points, 7 goals), Clayton Cosentino (7 points, 5 assists) and Parker Brown (7 points, 5 assists) has 22. The third line of Bennett Norlin, Jake Marti and Lucas Coon, which often sets the tone for the team with its relentless, physical play, has 16.

But the biggest source of offense is coming from the blue line, which is home to three of the top six scorers – Sam Brennan (13 points, 4 goals), Brandon Koch (9 assists) and Luke Rowe (8 points, 5 goals). That trio has 30 points and nine goals, but just three on the power play. Add in Mitchell Digby‘s six points, and you can see the defense is consistently involved in the offense in all situations.

Reim and Brennan have been on fire of late, with Reim getting six goals in the past four games and Brennan notching eight points in that stretch. DeCarlo also seems to be finding his footing, picking up half of his 10 points in the past four games. Think what will happen when two of the team’s top snipers, Gavin and Horn, get going again. Gavin hasn’t scored in seven games and Horn hasn’t struck in 11.

Bottom line: Improving but more is needed.

Fourth period

The penalty kill, usually a huge strength, had a brutal start, allowing 14 goals in the first six games. In the 12 games since, its only allowed eight, and three came in one game.

In between the Falcons had a stretch when they killed off 34 in a row. The educated guess here is the latter will become more of the norm.

The power play, meanwhile, also has improved of late. The Falcons struck three times at AIC, which appears as though it has a good shot at a fourth consecutive AHA title, and have six PPGs in their past six games (or half of their season total.

Reim and Horn have three power-play goals apiece and Rowe has two.

Bottom line: Expect this to be a strength.

Fifth period

Senior co-captain Alex Schilling has started every game in net this season, and that should come as no surprise. Coach Frank Serratore often picks a starter and stays with him come hell or high water.

Unfortunately, Schilling has allowed two or fewer goals just three times this season, and he has been pulled five times. Two seasons ago that happened just twice in his 29 starts.

He’s had strong games against Michigan State and at Cadet Arena vs. Denver. He also was superlative in defeating Bentley. If he can regain his form in the second half, that bodes very well for Air Force.

If he doesn’t, freshman Guy Blessing undoubtedly gave the staff some food for thought with a very strong relief effort against AIC, stopping 21 of 22 shots in two and a half periods of work. Junior Austin Park also has been solid when he’s come in.

Bottom line: This is the home stretch of Schilling’s AFA career. He’s the only goalie named captain during Serratore’s 25 years behind the Falcons bench, and he has the makeup and skill to carry a team.

Sixth period

One more hallmark of Falcons teams is they typically heat up in the second half. This group is rested, having played just four games since November, and healthy. The letter is a departure from recent seasons, when mass quantities of injuries were a persistent issue.

This also is a faster, more physical team than some recent editions and is highly entertaining to watch. Most nights there are just five or six upperclassmen in the lineup, so as the majority of the roster gains more experience they should be able to navigate the ups and downs of a season even better.

And lastly, this is a very close, spirited group. Player after player has told me the real strength of this team is its chemistry.

Bottom line: If Air Force can make up eight points in the standings, and it has 42 still on the table, it will finish in the top four and host an AHA quarterfinal. It’s a tall, but not impossible, task given the Falcons have points against three of the league’s top five teams already.

©First Line Editorial 2022