Air Force’s hockey team battled and battled and battled on Saturday, and the result was salvaging a series and a trip.

Junior assistant captain Clayton Cosentino scored with less than a minute to play in regulation to tie the score at 2, and he then scored in a shootout to give the Falcons the extra point in an Atlantic Hockey game at Canisius.

The Falcons (7-8-1, 4-3-1 AHA) overcame a 2-0 deficit in the final 14 minutes of regulation to earn two points and take home five of a possible 12 on a four-game trip.

Offense Better Late Than Never

Senior Will Gavin, playing his 100th NCAA game, scored for the second game in a row on the power play 6:37 into the third period to pull AFA to 2-1. Cosentino buried a bad-angle one-timer with 41 seconds left and Air Force in an extra-attacker situation. That was Cosentino’s sixth of the season, one off his career high.

Sophomore defenseman Chris Hedden assisted on both regulation goals and has a team-high 18 points.

The Falcons outshot the hosts 46-22 and killed off all five Golden Griffins power plays. Gavin’s goal was Air Force’s only one on seven power-play chances. The team paraded to the penalty box for the second afternoon in a row.

Canisius (4-7-2, 4-3-2) received goals from Kyle Haskins and Grant Porter in the first and second periods, respectively.

Air Force is tied for sixth in Atlantic Hockey with 12 points.

Next: The Falcons play host to Bentley on Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (6 p.m.).

©First Line Editorial 2023