AIR FORCE TURNS BACK CLOCK -- TO 1980

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jan 19, 2008 | by KATY BOOTH

Air Force hadn't beaten the University of Denver in 28 years. Coach Frank Serratore, who guided the Pioneers before taking over the Falcons, hadn't beaten a team from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association since arriving at the academy.

All that changed Friday with Air Force's 5-2 victory over No. 4 Denver in front of an announced crowd of 2,657 at Cadet Ice Arena.

"I can be PC and say that it didn't matter, but I would be lying through my teeth," Serratore said of his team's first victory over the Pioneers since Jan. 15, 1980. "And I'm not a good liar."

Serratore's counterpart, George Gwozdecky, had a decidedly different take.

"I'm surprised, shocked and disappointed," said Gwozdecky, whose team fell to 17-6-0. "Something is not right with our team."

The Pioneers had won 19 straight games against the Falcons, including all 11 played at Cadet Ice Arena.

Air Force, which improved to 12-7-4, went up by four goals in the second period but didn't get complacent.

"That was a position that we never thought we'd be in and, subconsciously, we wanted to protect that lead," Serratore said. "But we had to stay on offense."

An empty-net goal with just less than five minutes remaining gave Air Force left wing Matt Fairchild his first career hat trick and provided the final margin.

"We wanted to beat a ranked team, and we did that tonight," Fairchild said. "We knew what we had to do, and we were all pretty up for it tonight."

Coming out with an aggressive forecheck, the Falcons kept the Pioneers on their heels for the majority of the first period.

Eight minutes into the period, Air Force senior center Eric Ehn skated up to pass to Derrick Burnett in the circle. Burnett got it past goalie Peter Mannino, finding the top right corner of the net.

With five seconds remaining in the period, Fairchild scored his second shorthanded goal of the season, pushing the lead to 2-0.

Fairchild's second goal gave the Falcons a 4-0 lead and ended the night for Mannino.

Outshot 31-16 in the game, Air Force depended on goaltender Andrew Volkening, who recorded 29 saves.

"The guys were making a lot of blocks, but I definitely noticed a little more territorial action at my end," Volkening said. "It got me sweating a little."

Air Force will try to end another long losing streak tonight when it faces No. 3 Colorado College at World Arena.

The Falcons have lost 24 straight games to the Tigers.