This year will be one of big asks for Air Force hockey. Per the Atlantic Hockey America's preseason coaches poll released Tuesday, the Falcons are picked to finish seventh of 11 this season despite an 18-19-1 2023-2024 season that saw them earn a fourth-place finish, a first-round bye and a home playoff series. But last year's squad had the advantage of being older and deeper.
This year's Falcons return some excellent veterans such as senior goaltender Guy Blessing, senior center Clayton Cosentino, junior center Mason McCormick and junior defenseman Chris Hedden, but Air Force is thin in their upper ranks with just six seniors and three juniors. Being a service academy team without the luxuries of the transfer portal to bring in veteran players from other programs or having fifth-year players makes the task of being a great team even more challenging. "There ain't no transfers coming to Air Force and Army, no quick fixes, no mulligans," Falcons' coach Frank Serratore said during media day.
"So we're going to need some freshmen and sophomores to play above their pay grade just to give us the depth that we're going need ...
We just don't want to compete, we want to contend." Serratore, entering his 28th season at the helm of the program, said even strength play was a stumbling block for last year's team. He noted that of the 21 skaters who played 15 or more games for Air Force, only five were plus players (i.
e., had a positive stat in the game's plus/minus category used to showcase a player's individual goal differential in even strength and short-handed situations). The Falcons made up for their lack of even-strength scoring with fantastic special teams play.
Air Force's leading goal scorer Will Gavin had 19 for the Falcons a year ago. He led the league in conference goals (15) and conference power play goals (8). The Falcons lead the AHA in short-handed goals with nine with then junior Austin Schwartz leading the nation with four.
While Schwartz remains a key returner for Air Force, the Falcons will miss the scoring production and prowess of Gavin. Serratore knows that in all likelihood the Falcons will not have a skater this season replicate what Gavin accomplished. Instead, he looks to the team's defense to close the gap, his senior goaltender in particular.
Blessing returns as one of the only veteran goalies in the league according to Serratore, and he does so with something to prove. "Here's an opportunity for him to a put young team on his back and carry them to the promised land," Serratore said. "He's had some injuries that he's had to deal with and there's still some upside in his game.
It's not like he's coming back as the first-team, all-league goalie. It's not like he led us to the Atlantic Hockey championship last year. He's done a good job and he's been a good player but there's still some upside.
" Bottom line, Serratore knows he has a good group of players this season but college hockey demands more than good in exchange for success. "The good news is we got a lot of good players, the bad news is good ain't good enough anymore," he said. "In today's collegiate landscape, Division I hockey's is better than it's ever been.
We're producing over a third of the players for the NHL right now. There's more good players out there than there are lockers available." Sacred Heart University out of Fairfield, Conn.
was picked to finish first in the preseason coaches poll. Air Force rival Army was picked to finish 10th. Hedden earns preseason nod Hedden, the Falcons' junior defenseman, was named to the AHA's preseason all-conference team Tuesday.
Hedden led Air Force in points last season with 37 on eight scores and 29 assists (also a team high). He also led in blocked shots with 54. Hedden is just the fourth defenseman in program history to lead the Falcons in scoring (goals and assists) and the latest since Brandon Koch's 25 led the Falcons in the 2018-2019 season.
Preseason All-AHA team Forwards Liam McLinskey, Sr., Holy Cross Matteo Giampa, So., Canisius Matthew Wilde, So.
, RIT Defensemen Chris Hedden, Jr., Air Force Mac Gadowsky, So., Army Goaltender Thomas Gale, Sr.
, Holy Cross AHA coaches preseason poll Team (1st Place Votes) Points Sacred Heart (5) 102 RIT (3) 94 Holy Cross (1) 93 AIC (1) 84 Bentley 76 Niagara (1) 67 Air Force 57 Canisius 45 Mercyhurst 36 Army 32 Robert Morris 29.
