Video: Air Force hockey’s Tyler Ledford earns ESPN Sportscenter nod with goal against No. 1 St. Cloud State
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The GazetteMarch 24, 2018 | updated 8 years ago
St. Cloud State's Ryan Poehling (11) controls the puck as he crosses the blue line as Air Force's Tyler Ledford (13) defends during the third period of an NCAA regional men's college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)
Colorado Springs native Tyler Ledford scored two goals Friday to help the Air Force hockey team to its biggest NCAA Tournament upset, a 4-1 win over overall No. 1 seed St. Cloud State.
Ledford also earned the No. 1 play in ESPN Sportscenter’s top 10 plays of the day feature Friday night.
Ledford took a high swing on his first goal off a redirection and officials reviewed it to see if his stick was above the crossbar, but the call on the ice stood. Air Force took a 1-0 lead 2:57 into the second period.
There was no doubting Ledford’s second, a deft deflection of a Matt Koch shot 4:26 later. Looking for the hat trick, Ledford put a few moves on David Hrenak on a breakaway but met the goaltender’s leg pad.
The senior has been playing with organizations Air Force head coach Frank Serratore founded or coached off and on since he was 12.
Air Force entered the tournament as the No. 16 overall seed and St. Cloud was No. 1.
St. Cloud State’s Ryan Poehling (11) controls the puck as he crosses the blue line as Air Force’s Tyler Ledford (13) defends during the third period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State goalie David Hrenak (34) gets up from the ice as Air Force celebrates a goal during the third period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State’s Mikey Eyssimont (19) battles for the puck with Air Force’s Dan Bailey (20) during the second period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State’s Luke Jaycox (6) pushes the puck past Air Force’s Walker Sommer (42) during the first period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)Air Force celebrates an empty-net goal in the closing minute of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game against St. Cloud State University during the third period Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)Air Force’s Evan Giesler (15) battles to get the puck past St. Cloud State goalie David Hrenak (34) as teammate Jimmy Schuldt (22) defends during the first period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State’s Jon Lizotte (10) applies pressure as Air Force’s Brady Tomlak (28) controls the puck during the third period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State’s Jack Poehling (3) looks to pass the puck while being pressured by Air Force’s Matt Koch (7) during the second period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State goalie David Hrenak (34) gets up from the ice as Air Force celebrates a goal during the third period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State’s Ryan Poehling (11) controls the puck as he crosses the blue line as Air Force’s Tyler Ledford (13) defends during the third period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State goalie David Hrenak (34) gets up from the ice as Air Force celebrates a goal during the third period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State’s Mikey Eyssimont (19) battles for the puck with Air Force’s Dan Bailey (20) during the second period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State’s Luke Jaycox (6) pushes the puck past Air Force’s Walker Sommer (42) during the first period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)Air Force celebrates an empty-net goal in the closing minute of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game against St. Cloud State University during the third period Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)Air Force’s Evan Giesler (15) battles to get the puck past St. Cloud State goalie David Hrenak (34) as teammate Jimmy Schuldt (22) defends during the first period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State’s Jon Lizotte (10) applies pressure as Air Force’s Brady Tomlak (28) controls the puck during the third period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State’s Jack Poehling (3) looks to pass the puck while being pressured by Air Force’s Matt Koch (7) during the second period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)St. Cloud State goalie David Hrenak (34) gets up from the ice as Air Force celebrates a goal during the third period of an NCAA regional men’s college hockey tournament game, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Dave Eggen) (Dave Eggen)
