Every point is precious for Air Force hockey as the fourth-place Falcons jockey for playoff positioning headed into this weekend’s Atlantic Hockey Conference home series against last-place Niagara (3-16-3, 3-11-2 AHC).

The top five teams garner a first-round bye and AFA (10-9-3, 8-5-3), which has 20 underclassmen on its 27-man roster, will need that week off after the wear-and-tear of AHC play the next few weeks, coach Frank Serratore said.

Air Force does not have a bye week during the second half and the team’s younger players are taking on 24 to 25-year-old seniors game in and game out.

“Everyone we face will be older, more (physically) mature and deeper,” Serratore said. “We will be worn down so a week off would be big for us.  There’s no question we will be a little low on battery acid (by season’s end).”