2018–19 Air Force Falcons
men's ice hockey season
Conference3rd Atlantic Hockey
Home iceCadet Ice Arena
Rankings
USCHO.comNR
USA TodayNR
Record
Overall16–15–5
Conference14–10–4
Home9–7–3
Road6–7–1
Neutral1–1–1
Coaches and captains
Head coachFrank Serratore
Assistant coachesAndy Berg
Joe Doyle
Captain(s)Matt Koch
Evan Giesler
Matt Serratore
Air Force Falcons men's ice hockey seasons
« 2017–18 2019–20 »

The 2018–19 Air Force Falcons men's ice hockey season was the 51st season of play for the program and the 13th season in the Atlantic Hockey conference. The Falcons represented the United States Air Force Academy and were coached by Frank Serratore, in his 22nd season.

Season

Coming off of two consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, Air Force was attempting to live up to very lofty expectations, particularly for an Atlantic Hockey team. Unfortunately, the team got off to a poor start and began the season 1–4. The Falcons recovered afterwards and righted the ship with a 5-game winning streak, placing them near the top of the conference standings. A sweep at the hands of American International in mid-November put them behind the 8-ball at least in terms of a league championship, but a good showing against Bemidji State and in the Ice Vegas Invitational gave the team hope for another NCAA appearance.

The second half of their season began similar to the first half and Air Force went through a stretch of 5 game without a win. They briefly bounced back against Robert Morris but then hovered around .500 for the remainder of the season. Entering the postseason, Air Force had no mathematic chance to make the 2019 NCAA Tournament without winning their conference tournament. That glimmer of hope was quickly snuffed out when they were upset by Niagara in the quarterfinals.

After the season, Billy Christopoulos joined the select few graduates of the Air Force Academy to play professional hockey when he signed with the South Carolina Stingrays.[1]

Departures

Player Position Nationality Cause
Dylan AboodDefenseman United StatesGraduation (retired)
Erik BaskinForward United StatesGraduation (retired)
Phil BojeDefenseman United StatesGraduation (retired)
Jordan HimleyForward United StatesGraduation (retired)
Jonathan KopackaDefenseman United StatesGraduation (retired)
Ben KuceraForward United StatesGraduation (retired)
Tyler LedfordForward United StatesGraduation (retired)
Kyle MackeyDefenseman United StatesGraduation (retired)
Isaac TheisenForward United StatesLeft program
Will UlrichGoaltender United StatesLeft program

Recruiting

Player Position Nationality Age Notes
Kieran DurganForward United States21St. Johns, MI
Carter EkbergDefenseman United States21McMurray, PA
Tyler JuttingDefenseman United States21Mankato, MN
Keegan MantaroDefenseman United States20Monument, CO
Alex SchillingGoaltender United States21Medina, MN
Jensen ZerbanForward United States20Elk River, MN

Roster

No. S/P/C Player Class Pos Height Weight DoB Hometown Previous team NHL rights
2 Minnesota Tyler Jutting Freshman D 6' 4" (1.93 m) 203 lb (92 kg) 1997-07-27 Mankato, Minnesota West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL)
3 Wisconsin Jake Levin Sophomore D 6' 2" (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1997-02-03 Mequon, Wisconsin Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL)
6 Minnesota Alex Mehnert Sophomore D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1997-06-15 Moorhead, Minnesota Omaha Lancers (USHL)
7 Minnesota Matt Koch (C) Senior D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 194 lb (88 kg) 1995-03-22 Hastings, Minnesota Wichita Falls Wildcats (NAHL)
8 Michigan Marshall Bowery Sophomore F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1996-11-17 Rochester Hills, Michigan Topeka RoadRunners (NAHL)
9 Illinois Trevor Stone Junior F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1996-06-03 Pleasant Plains, Illinois Springfield Jr. Blues (NAHL)
10 Colorado Keegan Mantaro Freshman D 5' 9" (1.75 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1998-12-03 Monument, Colorado Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
11 Michigan Max Harper Sophomore F 6' 3" (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1996-09-29 Rochester Hills, Michigan Topeka RoadRunners (NAHL)
12 Minnesota Matt Serratore (C) Senior F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 1994-06-21 Bemidji, Minnesota Penticton Vees (BCHL)
15 Illinois Evan Giesler (C) Senior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1994-02-19 Naperville, Illinois Bismarck Bobcats (BCHL)
16 Michigan Kyle Haak Senior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1994-08-06 Okemos, Michigan Aberdeen Wings (NAHL)
17 Washington (state) Joe Tyran Junior D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1996-03-07 Chattaroy, Washington Bismarck Bobcats (NAHL)
18 Colorado Evan Feno Senior F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1995-02-14 Morrison, Colorado Janesville Jets (NAHL)
20 Minnesota Dan Bailey Senior D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 174 lb (79 kg) 1996-03-21 St. Cloud, Minnesota Wenatchee Wild (NAHL)
21 Wisconsin Matt Pulver Junior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1997-06-05 Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Aberdeen Wings (NAHL)
22 Wisconsin Pierce Pluemer Junior F 6' 4" (1.93 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1996-01-07 Phillips, Wisconsin Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL)
25 Pennsylvania Carter Ekberg Freshman F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1997-05-14 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Janesville Jets (NAHL)
26 Idaho Erich Jaeger Junior F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1996-01-02 Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Wichita Falls Wildcats (NAHL)
27 Minnesota Jensen Zerban Freshman F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1998-11-13 Elk River, Minnesota Jamestown Rebels (NAHL)
28 Michigan Brady Tomlak Junior F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1996-05-14 Oakland, Michigan Springfield Jr. Blues (NAHL)
29 New York (state) Shawn Knowlton Sophomore F 5' 8" (1.73 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 1996-08-14 Slingerlands, New York Aberdeen Wings (NAHL)
30 Minnesota Erik Anderson Sophomore G 5' 11" (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1996-06-10 Chanhassen, Minnesota Pikes Peak (RMJHL)
31 Colorado Zach LaRocque Sophomore G 6' 2" (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1997-01-26 Arvada, Colorado Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
33 Minnesota Alex Schilling Freshman G 6' 1" (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1997-12-23 Medina, Minnesota Austin Bruins (NAHL)
42 Ohio Walker Sommer Sophomore F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 174 lb (79 kg) 1996-04-29 Avon, Ohio New Jersey Hitmen (USPHL)
44 North Carolina Billy Christopoulos Senior G 6' 2" (1.88 m) 194 lb (88 kg) 1994-02-01 Raleigh, North Carolina Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL)
74 Massachusetts Zack Mirageas Sophomore D 5' 9" (1.75 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1997-07-15 Newburyport, Massachusetts Bloomington Thunder (USHL)
88 Michigan Kieran Durgan Freshman F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1997-08-20 St. Johns, Michigan Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)

[2]

Standings

Conference record Overall record
GP W L T PTS GF GA GP W L T GF GA
#16 American International †*28189137102774123171129119
Bentley281594349475371715511398
Air Force281410432656336161559092
Sacred Heart28141133185733716174107106
RIT28131143081763817174113111
Niagara28111252794964117195127140
Mercyhurst28111342688943813205113134
Robert Morris28111522472784016222102127
Holy Cross2810144248189361021591112
Army288137237182391220794117
Canisius28816420771073712205103133
Championship: March 23, 2019
† indicates conference regular season champion
* indicates conference tournament champion (Riley Trophy)
Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll

Schedule and results

DateTimeOpponent#Rank#SiteTVDecisionResultAttendanceRecord
Exhibition
October 7 5:05 PM vs. Alberta* Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos T 2–2 OT 1,625
Regular Season
October 12 7:05 PM vs. #10 Denver* Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos L 1–4  2,386 0–1–0
October 13 7:07 PM vs. Colorado College* Broadmoor World ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado (Battle for Pikes Peak)  Christopoulos L 1–6  4,327 0–2–0
October 19 5:35 PM at Canisius LECOM HarborcenterBuffalo, New York  Christopoulos W 7–3  1,110 1–2–0 (1–0–0)
October 20 5:35 PM at Canisius LECOM HarborcenterBuffalo, New York  Christopoulos L 0–2  1,371 1–3–0 (1–1–0)
October 25 7:05 PM vs. Niagara Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos L 0–5  1,326 1–4–0 (1–2–0)
October 26 7:05 PM vs. Niagara Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos W 2–1  1,754 2–4–0 (2–2–0)
November 2 5:05 PM at Army Tate RinkWest Point, New York  Christopoulos W 4–2  2,473 3–4–0 (3–2–0)
November 3 6:05 PM at Army Tate RinkWest Point, New York  Christopoulos W 4–2  2,317 4–4–0 (4–2–0)
November 9 7:05 PM vs. Bentley Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  LaRocque W 4–2  1,833 5–4–0 (5–2–0)
November 10 7:35 PM vs. Bentley Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  LaRocque W 4–1  1,742 6–4–0 (6–2–0)
November 16 12:05 PM vs. American International MassMutual CenterSpringfield, Massachusetts  LaRocque L 0–5  117 6–5–0 (6–3–0)
November 17 11:05 AM vs. American International MassMutual CenterSpringfield, Massachusetts  LaRocque L 0–4  378 6–6–0 (6–4–0)
November 30 5:05 PM at RIT Gene Polisseni CenterHenrietta, New York  Christopoulos W 3–1  2,851 7–6–0 (7–4–0)
December 1 5:05 PM at RIT Gene Polisseni CenterHenrietta, New York  Christopoulos W 3–0  2,231 8–6–0 (8–4–0)
December 7 7:35 PM vs. Mercyhurst Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos W 2–0  1,607 9–6–0 (9–4–0)
December 8 5:05 PM vs. Mercyhurst Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos L 1–4  1,848 9–7–0 (9–5–0)
December 29 7:05 PM vs. Bemidji State* Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos T 3–3 OT 2,231 9–7–1
December 30 5:05 PM vs. Bemidji State* Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos W 6–3  2,261 10–7–1
Ice Vegas Invitational
January 4 9:35 PM vs. St. Lawrence* T-Mobile ArenaParadise, Nevada (Ice Vegas semifinal)  Christopoulos W 7–1  1,727 11–7–1
January 5 9:35 PM vs. #17 Western Michigan* T-Mobile ArenaParadise, Nevada (Ice Vegas championship)  Christopoulos L 1–4  1,807 11–8–1
January 11 7:05 PM vs. Army Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos T 2–2 OT 2,716 11–8–2 (9–5–1)
January 12 5:05 PM vs. Army Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos T 2–2 OT 2,528 11–8–3 (9–5–2)
January 19 12:05 PM at Sacred Heart Webster Bank ArenaBridgeport, Connecticut  Christopoulos L 1–3  356 11–9–3 (9–6–2)
January 20 2:05 PM vs. Sacred Heart Ingalls RinkNew Haven, Connecticut  Christopoulos T 2–2 OT 203 11–9–4 (9–6–3)
January 25 7:05 PM vs. Robert Morris Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos W 3–1  1,902 12–9–4 (10–6–3)
January 26 5:05 PM vs. Robert Morris Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos W 3–1  1,942 13–9–4 (11–6–3)
February 1 5:05 PM at Bentley Bentley ArenaWaltham, Massachusetts  Christopoulos L 3–4 OT 1,320 13–10–4 (11–7–3)
February 2 5:05 PM at Bentley Bentley ArenaWaltham, Massachusetts  Christopoulos L 0–4  1,351 13–11–4 (11–8–3)
February 15 7:05 PM vs. Canisius Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos W 3–0  2,142 14–11–4 (12–8–3)
February 16 5:05 PM vs. Canisius Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos L 0–3  2,053 14–12–4 (12–9–3)
February 22 5:05 PM at Mercyhurst Mercyhurst Ice CenterErie, Pennsylvania  Christopoulos T 3–3 OT 1,338 14–12–5 (12–9–4)
February 23 5:05 PM at Mercyhurst Mercyhurst Ice CenterErie, Pennsylvania  Christopoulos W 4–2  1,222 15–12–5 (13–9–4)
March 1 7:05 PM vs. Holy Cross Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos L 1–2 OT 1,809 15–13–5 (13–10–4)
March 2 5:05 PM vs. Holy Cross Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado  Christopoulos W 4–2  1,655 16–13–5 (14–10–4)
Atlantic Hockey Tournament
March 15 7:05 PM vs. Niagara* Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado (Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals game 1)  Christopoulos L 2–3 OT 1,474 16–14–5
March 7 7:05 PM vs. Niagara* Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado (Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals game 2)  Christopoulos L 4–5  1,621 16–15–5
Air Force lost Series 0–2
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Mountain Time.
Source:[3]

Scoring statistics

Name Position Games Goals Assists Points PIM
Matt KochD354212720
Kyle HaakF3512112320
Evan FeroF3211112213
Evan GieslerF367132018
Kieran DurganF36126188
Brady TomlakC348101852
Zack MirageasD351161751
Walker SommerC35951412
Jake LevinD36112138
Alex MehnertD361111224
Trevor StoneC/LW34921120
Matt PulverF3654920
Joe TyranD263478
Erich JaegerF2615624
Dan BaileyD3623528
Marshall BoweryF302248
Pierce PluemerLW2312310
Carter EkbergD270338
Matt SerratoreF31124
Max HarperF140220
Shawn KnowltonF280228
Keegan MantaroD3201110
Zach LaRocqueG50000
Jensen ZerbanF70002
Tyler JuttingD100000
Billy ChristopoulosG320000
Bench-----12
Total90147237388

[4]

Goaltending statistics

Name Games Minutes Wins Losses Ties Goals Against Saves Shut Outs SV % GAA
Billy Christopoulos32192614135727663.9142.24
Zach LaRocque525122013780.8573.10
Empty Net-19---7----
Total36219716155928443.9022.51

Rankings

Poll Week
Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 (Final)
USCHO.com NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR - NR
USA Today NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR

USCHO did not release a poll in Week 25.[5]

Awards and honors

Player Award Ref
Kyle Haak Senior CLASS Award [6]
Billy Christopoulos Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Goaltending Award [7]
Billy Christopoulos Atlantic Hockey First Team [8]

References

  1. "Bailey Signs PTO With AHL's Charlotte Checkers". South Carolina Stingrays. November 12, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  2. "2018–19 Ice Hockey Roster". U.S. Air Force Academy Athletics. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  3. "Air Force Falcons (Men) 2018-2019 Schedule and Results". College Hockey Stats. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  4. "Air Force Academy 2018-2019 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  5. "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  6. "Air Force's Kyle Haak Wins 2018-19 Senior CLASS Award® for Men's Hockey | Senior CLASS Award".
  7. "Regular Season Awards Handed Out at End-of-Year Reception". atlantichockeyonline.com. March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  8. "All-Conference Teams Announced". atlantichockeyonline.com. March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
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