So far, this year’s Air Force hockey team has half of coach Frank Serratore’s equation for success. 

“Ideally, when we’ve had our championship years, when we’ve had our best years, we’re old and we’re deep. We like our depth right now, but we’re not very old, we’re very young,” he said. 

But there’s a lot to love about this young Falcons’ roster. The Falcons (0-1-1) have played three games against some of the best teams in college hockey and have acquitted themselves well. Air Force scored two goals in the third period in an exhibition at Omaha to force overtime. The Falcons held No. 5 Denver scoreless for over 55 minutes in a tie to open their season and entered the third period with a 2-1 lead over cross-town rival Colorado College. 

“I think at Omaha we demonstrated we could play with anybody,” Falcons junior assistant captain Brendan Gibbons said. “Going on the road there, playing in their building, packed out rink, and just really putting our best foot forward and forcing them into overtime. Honestly, everybody on our team believed that we should have won that game, but the chips didn’t fall our way.”

Both Gibbons and Serratore believe more experience will help the Falcons close out games. 

Air Force’s next chance to do so will be this weekend as St. Thomas (1-2) comes to Cadet Ice Arena. Puck drop is 7 p.m. on Friday and 8 p.m. on Saturday. 

A big part of the Falcons’ ability to keep games close is their defense. Through seven periods this past weekend, including Friday’s overtime game, Air Force held CC and DU to a combined four goals, excluding the Tigers’ empty-netter in their Oct. 11 victory. To put it into context, the Pioneers beat Atlantic Hockey America champion Bentley 6-0 the night after they battled to a 1-1 tie and shootout win over Air Force. The Falcons have also been steadfast on the penalty kill as CC and DU went 0-6 on the man advantage this past weekend. 

Falcons junior goaltender Carter Clafton is a key part of Air Force’s defense. The goalie won a five-man competition in the offseason to become the Falcons’ successor between the  pipes after three-year starter Guy Blessing graduated. 

He began his tenure as Air Force’s starter by making history. His 58-save effort against the Pioneers in the Falcons’ season opener on Oct. 10 was the most saves by an Air Force goalie in the program’s conference era and set a new AHA record. 

“It’s a small sample size but obviously he’s given us a chance, he’s played well enough to give us a chance to win all three games we played in. Now, the biggest test is going to be the test of time but in this short snapshot, he’s more than done his part,” Serratore said. 

As Clafton gains his experience so too will Air Force’s young players who have made their impact felt already. Sophomore forwards Will Dawson, Nick Sajevic and Sam Stitz were a productive trio for Air Force at the end of last season. Now, the group skates on the Falcons’ top line and gave Air Force its first goal of the season against Denver. In the exhibition against Omaha, it was rookie forward Oliver Genest who scored the equalizer to send the game to overtime. And finally, it was freshman left wing Cole Christian who put Air Force up 2-1 over CC at the tail end of the second period last week.

Gibbons said the young players’ success is due to the team mindset that permeates the locker room. 

“It’s obviously a tough place to come get acclimated to, especially as a freshman. The Academy has its challenges on and off the ice, but I think as an upperclassman and a leader now on this team, just giving them the confidence to play their game and not to veer away from that just because Division I hockey can be nerve-racking,” he said. “Just giving them the confidence and support that they need, and the confidence and everything the upperclassmen gave me when I was a freshman. I think that’s what I’m mostly trying to give the young guys.”