Air Force Falcons Hockey Upsets AHA’s Top Program For Series Split

The Air Force Falcons put together a tremendous performance against the top team in Atlantic Hockey America on Saturday.

Wisconsin and Air Force compete Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, in the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. / Ebony Cox / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Air Force Falcons needed a big game from its goalie, Guy Blessing, and scored three goals on Sacred Heart to defeat the Pioneers, 3-0, on Saturday in their latest series in Atlantic Hockey America action on Saturday.

The victory gave Air Force (10-11-1, 7-5-0 in AHA) a split of their series with Sacred Heart (11-8-3, 10-6-2), which leads the AHA with 35 points. The Falcons are now in fourth place with 21 points, behind Bentley (30) and Niagara (29).

Air Force outshot Sacred Heart, 36-29, even though the Falcons went 0-for-2 on the power play. Air Force — led by AHA defenseman of the month Chris Hedden — killed all three of Sacred Heart’s power plays.

The Falcons took a 1-0 lead in the first period as Nick Remissong put back Air Force’s third chance at a goal, which started on a 2-on-1 rush by Clayton Cosentino and  Brendan Gibbons.  Sacred Heart goalie Ajeet Gundarah stopped the first two shots, but not Remissong’s.

Blessing fended off 12 shots in the second period, including one from AHA’s leading scorer, Felix Trudeau, before the Falcons ran away with the game in the third period.

Blessing is now 9-11-1 in net this season.

Andrew DeCarlo scored his second goal of the season early in the period to give Air Force a 2-0 lead. DeCarlo’s slap shot from the left wing came on assists from Remissong and Ren Morque.

The Falcons scored the final goal with less than three minutes remaining. Air Force killed a Sacred Heart power play and then pulled its goaltender to get six skaters on the ice.

Austin Schwartz blocked a one-timer deep in the zone, then collected the puck and sent it to the other end for an empty-net goal to ice the game.

The split came after Hedden’s award, his second award of the season. His selection was for December, which saw him help Air Force win its series with Niagara as he scored four of the Falcons’ six points. He took 12 shots and blocked four shots. He scored two goals in the second game of the series.

He’s among the top defensemen in the country in blocked shots and shots on goal.

The Falcons return home to host Bentley next Friday and Saturday, followed by a trip to West Point, N.Y. to take on service academy rival Army West Point on Jan. 17-18. The Falcons will get a rematch with the Black Knights on Feb. 14-15 at USAFA.

The AHA playoffs will begin in March.