Air Force hockey schedule released

August 11th, 2011, 10:50 am · 4 Comments · posted by joconnell

The Air Force hockey team opens the 2011-12 regular season in the Icebreaker Classic in Grand Forks, N.D. Air Force will face national power North Dakota on Friday, Oct. 7, at 7:37 p.m. at Engelstad Arena. The Falcons will then face either Boston College or Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 8, at either 4:07 or 7:37 p.m.

Two exhibition games precede the Icebreaker Classic. AFA will travel to Wenatchee, Wash., for an exhibition game against Simon Fraser University (British Columbia) on Saturday, Oct. 1. The Falcons open the home schedule with an exhibition game against McGill University (Montreal) on Monday, Oct. 3 at 6:05 p.m. at the Cadet Ice Arena.

The league schedule begins on Oct. 14 when the Falcons host the Purple Eagles of Niagara University at 7:05 p.m. at Cadet Ice Arena. As members of the 12-team Atlantic Hockey Association, the Falcons will play a 27-game league schedule. AFA will face Niagara, Robert Morris, RIT, Mercyhurst and Canisius three times each. The Falcons will then face Army, AIC, UConn, Sacred Heart, Holy Cross and Bentley twice.

Air Force is coming off of its fourth AHA Championship and NCAA appearance in the last five years. Air Force was 20-12-6 last season and placed second in the AHA. The Falcons beat RIT, 1-0, in the AHA championship game.

AFA’s season ended with a 2-1 overtime loss to top-seeded Yale, in the NCAA East Regional. AFA returns nine of the top 11 scorers from last season, including junior Kyle DeLaurell (10-23-33), junior John Kruse (11-18-29), senior Scott Mathis (8-19-27) and senior Paul Weisgarber (13-12-25). The Falcons also return five of the top six defensemen and goaltenders sophomore Jason Torf and senior Stephen Caple. Torf started the final 30 games of the season and his 16 wins were the second most by any freshman goaltender in the nation.

Every regular-season and playoff game will be broadcast live in Colorado Springs on AM 1300 The Sports Animal and will be available online at www.GoAirForceFalcons.com

Day Date Time Opponent Site
Sat. Oct. 1 5:35 p.m. vs. Simon Fraser (exh.) Wenatchee, WA
Mon. Oct. 3 6:05 p.m. MCGILL UNIVERSITY (exh.) USAFA, Colo.
Fri. Oct. 7 7:37 p.m. at North Dakota& Grand Forks, N.D.
Sat. Oct. 8 4:07/7:37 vs. Boston College/Michigan State& Grand Forks, N.D.
Fri. Oct. 14 7:05 p.m. NIAGARA* USAFA, Colo.
Sun. Oct. 16 5:05 p.m. ROBERT MORRIS* USAFA, Colo.
Fri. Oct. 21 7:05 p.m. at Alabama-Huntsville Huntsville, Ala
Sat. Oct. 22 7:05 p.m. at Alabama-Huntsville Huntsville, Ala.
Sat. Oct. 29 7:05 p.m. CANISIUS* USAFA, Colo
Fri. Nov. 4 7:05 p.m. SACRED HEART* USAFA, Colo.
Sat. Nov. 5 7:35 p.m. SACRED HEART* USAFA, Colo.
Fri. Nov. 11 7:05 p.m. at RIT* Rochester, N.Y.
Sat. Nov. 12 7:05 p.m. at Mercyhurst* Erie, Pa.
Fri. Nov. 25 7:05 p.m. UCONN* USAFA, Colo.
Sat. Nov. 26 7:05 p.m. UCONN* USAFA, Colo.
Fri. Dec. 2 7:05 p.m. at AIC* Springfield, Mass.
Sat. Dec. 3 7:05 p.m. at AIC* Springfield, Mass.
Fri. Dec. 30 7:37 p.m. at Colorado College Colorado Springs, Colo.
Sat. Dec. 31 6:05 p.m. DENVER USAFA, Colo.
Fri. Jan. 6 7:05 p.m. at Holy Cross* Worcester, Mass.
Sat. Jan. 7 7:05 p.m. at Holy Cross* Worcester, Mass.
Fri. Jan. 13 7:05 p.m. BENTLEY* USAFA, Colo.
Sat. Jan. 14 7:05 p.m. BENTLEY* USAFA, Colo.
Fri. Jan. 20 7:05 p.m. at Army* West Point, N.Y.
Sat. Jan. 21 7:05 p.m. at Army* West Point, N.Y.
Sun. Jan. 29 4:05 p.m. at Canisius* Buffalo, N.Y.
Mon. Jan. 30 7:05 p.m. at Canisius* Buffalo, N.Y.
Fri. Feb. 3 7:05 p.m. RIT* USAFA, Colo.
Sat. Feb. 4 7:05 p.m. RIT* USAFA, Colo.
Fri. Feb. 10 7:05 p.m. at Niagara* Niagara, N.Y.
Sat. Feb. 11 7:05 p.m. at Niagara* Niagara, N.Y.
Fri. Feb. 17 7:05 p.m. MERCYHURST* USAFA, Colo.
Sat. Feb. 18 7:05 p.m. MERCYHURST* USAFA, Colo.
Fri. Feb. 24 7:05 p.m. at Robert Morris* Pittsburgh, Pa.
Sat. Feb. 25 7:05 p.m. at Robert Morris* Pittsburgh, Pa.
Fri-Sun. March 2-4 TBA AHA Play-In Games (Best of Three) TBA
Fri-Sun. March 9-11 TBA AHA Quarter-Finals (Best of Three) TBA
Fri-Sat. March 16-17 TBA AHA Final Four Rochester, N.Y.
Fri-Sun. March 23-25 TBA NCAA Regionals
(Bridgeport, Conn.,Green Bay, Wis., St. Paul, Minn., Worcester, Mass.)

*Atlantic Hockey Association game
& Icebreaker Classic in Grand Forks, N.D.
Dates and times subject to change
All times are local to site

Posted in: hockey • Air Force hockey

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About this blog …

I'm Frank Schwab, Air Force beat reporter for The Gazette. I've been at the paper since 2003, and covered the Broncos for seven seasons. I covered the University of Wisconsin in the late 1990s, so I'm well versed in running football teams (Ron Dayne) and defensive basketball teams (Dick Bennett). I love to chat on www.twitter.com/GazetteAirForce, and will respond to comments and emails at frank.schwab@gazette.com.

For more coverage, visit The Gazette's Air Force Academy Sports page

BlueMan says:

August 12, 2011 at 2:49 pm

What a great home schedule…NOT.
Home games versus Niagara, Robert Morris, Canisius, Sacred Heart, Bentley, Mercyhurt…I can’t wait – yeah right.
I have Falcon football season tickets, but I’ll be at the World Arena for CC Hockey this winter for games versus legit college hockey powers. I wish Air Force would get in the same conference as CC, but would probably get killed. May win a game or two, but can’t compete like CC does.
Go AFA Football, but have to go with CC for Hockey season. Like everyone else in Colorado Springs that understands good sports.

Falcon says:

August 12, 2011 at 5:33 pm

I don’t care a wink about AF hockey.
I’m looking forward to AF football.
And I agree with BlueMan, I’d go to a CC hockey game before I’d go see AF hockey. I usually hit 5 CC games and 2 AF games per season, no comparison in talent. CC hockey a much better event.

Falconman says:

August 15, 2011 at 4:58 pm

Hey, Falcon, you say “I don’t care a wink about AF hockey” then in the same breath say you go to two AFA games a year…why don’t you just stay away completely, enjoy your booze at CC games…and Blue Man, why bother to even comment on AF hockey schedule? I still don’t “get” you CC hockey fans….you seek out opportunities whenever you can to put down everything Falcon, yet those of us who, in your opinion, seem to be wasting our time supporting AF hockey, we don’t , repeat, DON’T CARE about CC….whether they win, lose, or sign the latest and greatest hockey player from Manitoba or Minnesota, it all means NOTHING to us…you will never see me posting on a blog about CC hockey, because (to repeat, in case you missed it) I DON’T CARE about CC hockey…period.

I will say this one last thing about CC, then I will stop talking about them: it would be interesting to see what kind of team CC could put on the ice with only AMERICAN players, and with the same academic standards as AFA.

Coach says:

August 16, 2011 at 6:22 pm

Air Force can get any “athlete” they want into the Academy. You can’t say the same for CC and its elite standards.
Both are great high academic schools. And I didn’t know we were anti-Candadian. NORAD?