Air Force hockey’s win over Sacred Heart on Saturday was a sign of the times. 

Following a pregame meeting in which the team captains rather than the coaches addressed their teammates, the Falcons took advantage of the few opportunities their opponent — buoyed by a 36-save evening, part of a 67-save weekend, from goalie Justin Robbins — gave them to grind out a hard-fought 2-0 win. 

It had all the markings of the postseason: quality competition, a slim margin for error and an increased focus on the players taking ownership and executing over coaching. 

With four games remaining in the regular season and Air Force heading to stop Atlantic Hockey Association team Rochester Institute of Technology this weekend, the formula for success is much the same. 

“The players need to take this thing over this time of year,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said. “To be honest with you, if we’re coaching our butts off this time of year, we’re in trouble, we’re in a lot of trouble.”

Air Force faces the Tigers at 5:05 p.m. Friday and 3:05 p.m. Saturday.

The Falcons are in fifth place in the AHA standings, the final spot to receive a first-round bye in the conference tournament. That has been a season-long goal for the team. 

However, things are tight in the middle of the AHA as just eight points separate Air Force from eighth place Canisius. 

While most every player will have their fair share of stepping up to do once the season ends, one will not. The Feb. 24 regular-season finale is the end of the line for senior defenseman and captain Luke Rowe who graduated in December. He was granted a 60-day extension and an 11-day waiver by the NCAA to finish the regular season. 

It’s an unusual scenario for the defenseman as he’s believed to be the first winter sports athlete at the academy to take advantage of the extension. But when the clock strikes midnight on the Cinderella story, the Falcons will need to replace the player Serratore has called the “heart and soul” of the team for the postseason tournament. Rowe has 28 points on the season on six goals and 22 assists.

Enter sophomore defenseman Chris Hedden and freshman defenseman Owen Baumgartner.  

Hedden needs no introduction. He skates in Air Force’s top defensive pairing alongside Rowe. And his 34 points are tied for the team lead alongside senior winger Will Gavin. On 27 assists through 32 this season, Hedden has a 0.84 assists per game average, good enough for 16th among all Division-I players in the nation. 

While his offensive prowess is documented, Serratore said both he and Baumgartner will need to accelerate their development and play “above their paygrade” on defense. 

“That guy (Rowe) is easy to throw over the boards, throw over the boards, throw over the boards, because he’s so dependable for us on both sides,” the coach said. “I know a couple guys, (Baumgartner) and (Hedden) who can help the front side, help the offensive side of that … who’s going to absorb those minutes on the defensive side? And I think those guys can help us but they need to be better.”

Baumgartner has seven points this season on a goal and six assists and Serratore has praised his playmaking ability. For both Baumgartner and Hedden, Serratore said the goal is utilizing their “major league skills” and reducing their “minor league habits.”

“We don’t have a lot of players that, when you’re watching as a fan, that lift you out of your seat. Those guys do some things that lift you out of your seat,” Serratore said. “You don’t have to know a blue line from a clothesline to say, ‘Hmm that (Baumgartner) got some happy feet, That (Hedden) he’s got some shake and bake.'”

Air Force defenseman Owen Baumgartner gains control of the puck in the first period Feb. 9 against Sacred Heart at the Air Force Academy.

Parker Seibold, The Gazette