It was a playoff game in everything but name, and while Air Force showed well it didn’t come away with a much-needed Atlantic Hockey victory at Army West Point.
The host Black Knights made a late second-period goal stand up as the winner in taking a 3-1 victory. It was the first time in three games Air Force (7-16-2, 3-11-1) has lost to Army.
Lucas Kanta scored from just inside the left circle with 4:44 to go in the second to break a 1-1 deadlock.
Michael Sacco had tallied seconds into a power play 7:13 into the second to give Army the initial lead, but the Falcons made a decisive response. Senior Ty Pochipinski cashed in a nice cross-slot pass from Chris Heddon to tie it just 29 seconds later. Rickey Lyle scored an empty-net goal for the Black Knights (8-13-3, 7-8-1) after Air Force had several great scoring chances in the closing minutes.
Air Force’s complete level goes up several notches
Suffice to say Air Force would not be in the throes of a 1-11-1 slide had it played consistently with the intensity it showed on Friday night. The Falcons matched the Black Knights hit for hit while both teams played with extra hop in their strides.
The Falcons outshot the hosts in every period and finished with substantial 73-43 total-shots and 34-22 shots-on-goal edges. Air Force especially pushed the play in the third period, when it outshot the Black Knights 34-9 overall and 13-4 on goal.
It started in the face-off circle, where Air Force won 28 of 45 draws (62 percent). Sophomore Clayton Cosentino won 14 of 16 (87.5 percent).
Army goalie Gavin Abric made 33 saves and thwarted the Falcons time and again, while Air Force junior Maiszon Balboa stopped 19 shots.
Balboa gives Falcons a chance
The Falcons didn’t give Army a lot of chances, but when the Black Knights had a clean look, Balboa played well in his first start in five games.
The junior, who sustained an injury on Jan. 7 against Arizona State, needed some time in the first period to get his bearings, but the Falcons’ defense corps did a good job getting pucks out of harm’s way quickly. Once Balboa settled down he was solid. Army’s first goal came on a power play, the only special-teams strike of the night.
Balboa’s play should be a source of encouragement. This was just his third NCAA start (all three in 2023), and he’s given up just three goals in the past two.
Senior Austin Park had started the four previous games Balboa and sophomore Guy Blessing, who is out for the season, missed.
Offense remains hard to find for Air Force
The issue, as it has been for more than two months, was scoring. Despite generating chance after chance, the Falcons could not put them in the net. This troubling trend led to them again chasing the scoreboard.
Opponents have scored first against the Falcons in 11 consecutive games. That has foreshadowed problems for AFA, which is 3-13-1 when that happens.
Still, Air Force played one of its best games of the season. If that continues it’s only a matter of time before it shows up on the scoreboard.
Notes: In addition to Balboa, junior defenseman Luke Robinson and sophomore forward Austin Schwartz returned to the lineup after multi-game injury absences. … The series wraps up Saturday at 2 p.m. MST (FloHockey.tv, 1300 AM)
©First Line Editorial 2023
