# 2023–24 Air Force Falcons men's ice hockey season

The 2023–24 Air Force Falcons men's ice hockey season was the 56th season of play for the program and the 18th in Atlantic Hockey. The Falcons represented the United States Air Force Academy, played their home games at the Cadet Ice Arena and were coached by Frank Serratore in his 27th season.

## Season

Just before the start of the season, the NCAA announced:
   "The school, enforcement staff, men's ice hockey head coach and two assistant coaches agreed that ... two assistant coaches had approximately 18 impermissible recruiting contacts with a prospective student-athlete and his father before that student-athlete had entered the Transfer Portal"
Though he was not charged with any direct action, head coach Frank Serratore was responsible for the actions of his assistants. As such, a standard Level II penalty was applied to both Serratore and the two assistants who were unnamed in the release.
Once the season got underway, the Falcons very quickly proved to be an inconsistent team. After splitting their opening series against Lindenwood, one of the worst teams in the nation, Air Force followed that up with a split versus Michigan State, one of the best teams. That trend continued throughout the season and can mostly be attributed to the defensive side of the puck. Air Force had a very good season offensively, averaging 3 goals per game for the year. However, they allowed slightly more goals per game on average and were let down by a subpar season from Guy Blessing.
Despite the deficiencies, the team finished 4th in Atlantic Hockey and earned a home stand for the conference quarterfinals. The Falcons outplayed American International in the first game, firing 32 shots to the Yellow Jackets' 18 but they were unable to overcome a strong goaltending performance from the opposing netminder. The second game saw Air Force jump out to a 2–0 lead in the first period but the team was unable to build on that lead for the rest of the match. AIC tied the game with less than two minutes to play and forced overtime. USAF ratcheted up their offense in the extra session, sending 15 shots on goal in just over 12 minutes but none of them could find the back of the net. A simple rush up the ice ended the game in the middle of the first overtime when a perfectly placed shot ricocheted in off of the crossbar and ended the Falcons' season.

## Departures

| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
| Blake Bride | Forward | United States | Graduation (retired) |
| Brandon Koch | Defenseman | United States | Graduate transfer to Minnesota State |
| Andrew Kruse | Defenseman | United States | Graduation (retired) |
| Bennett Norlin | Forward | United States | Graduation (retired) |
| Brett Oberle | Defenseman | United States | Joined club team |
| Austin Park | Goaltender | United States | Graduation (retired) |
| Ray Picard | Goaltender | United States | Rejoined club team |
| Ty Pochipinski | Forward | United States | Graduation (retired) |
| Aaron Randazzo | Goaltender | United States | Left program (retired) |
| Willie Reim | Forward | United States | Graduation (retired) |
| Drake Usher | Defenseman | United States | Left program (retired) |
| Dalton Weigel | Defenseman | United States | Graduation (retired) |

## Recruiting

| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
| Owen Baumgartner | Defenseman | United States | 21 | Owatonna, MN |
| James Callahan | Defenseman | United States | 20 | Minneapolis, MN |
| Carter Clafton | Goaltender | United States | 21 | Grand Rapids, MN |
| Nolan Cunningham | Defenseman | United States | 21 | Great Falls, MT |
| Owen DuBois | Forward | United States | 21 | Madison, WI |
| Brendan Gibbons | Forward | United States | 21 | South Kingstown, RI |
| Sam Jacobs | Forward | United States | 21 | Plymouth, MN |
| Nick Remissong | Forward | United States | 21 | Lake Forest, IL |
| Will Staring | Defenseman | United States | 20 | Springfield, VA |
| Ethan Ullrick | Forward | United States | 20 | Lakewood, IL |
| Dominik Wasik | Goaltender | United States | 21 | Superior, CO |

## Roster

As of September 14, 2023

## Standings

2023–24 Atlantic Hockey Standingsvte :
| | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record |
| | GP | W | L | T | OW | OL | SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| #17 RIT †* | 26 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 54 | 102 | 64 | 40 | 27 | 11 | 2 | 156 | 96 |
| Holy Cross | 26 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 46 | 78 | 62 | 39 | 21 | 14 | 4 | 116 | 93 |
| Sacred Heart | 26 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 45 | 75 | 70 | 36 | 14 | 19 | 3 | 91 | 113 |
| Air Force | 26 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 44 | 88 | 75 | 38 | 18 | 19 | 1 | 115 | 119 |
| American International | 26 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 42 | 79 | 68 | 40 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 119 | 111 |
| Bentley | 26 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 41 | 69 | 58 | 35 | 16 | 17 | 2 | 95 | 82 |
| Niagara | 26 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 78 | 79 | 39 | 18 | 18 | 3 | 111 | 122 |
| Canisius | 26 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 73 | 87 | 37 | 12 | 21 | 4 | 103 | 126 |
| Mercyhurst | 26 | 7 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 30 | 77 | 91 | 35 | 9 | 22 | 4 | 98 | 126 |
| Army | 26 | 8 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 66 | 96 | 35 | 10 | 23 | 2 | 93 | 139 |
| Robert Morris | 26 | 7 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 60 | 95 | 39 | 11 | 25 | 3 | 94 | 142 |
| Championship: March 23, 2024 † indicates conference regular season champion (DeGregorio Trophy) * indicates conference tournament champion (Riley Trophy) Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll |||||||||||||||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date | Time | Opponent$^#$ | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record |
| Regular Season ||||||||||
| October 7 | 5:05 pm | Lindenwood* | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey | Blessing | W 4–1 | 1,659 | 1–0–0 |
| October 8 | 5:05 pm | Lindenwood* | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey | Blessing | L 3–4 | 1,333 | 1–1–0 |
| October 12 | 7:05 pm | #8 Michigan State* | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey | Blessing | W 6–5 | 2,589 | 2–1–0 |
| October 13 | 7:05 pm | #8 Michigan State* | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey | Blessing | L 3–5 | 2,708 | 2–2–0 |
| October 20 | 9:07 pm | at Alaska Anchorage* | Avis Alaska Sports Complex • Anchorage, Alaska | | Blessing | L 1–3 | 874 | 2–3–0 |
| October 21 | 9:07 pm | at Alaska Anchorage* | Avis Alaska Sports Complex • Anchorage, Alaska | | Blessing | W 4–3 | 715 | 3–3–0 |
| October 27 | 7:05 pm | Colorado College* | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado (Rivalry) | FloHockey | Blessing | L 2–6 | 2,701 | 3–4–0 |
| October 28 | 6:05 pm | at #2 Denver* | Magness Arena • Denver, Colorado | | Blessing | L 0–4 | 6,278 | 3–5–0 |
| November 3 | 5:05 pm | at Niagara | Dwyer Arena • Lewiston, New York | FloHockey | Blessing | W 3–2 $^{OT}$ | 637 | 4–5–0 (1–0–0) |
| November 4 | 5:05 pm | at Niagara | Dwyer Arena • Lewiston, New York | FloHockey | Blessing | L 3–4 | 755 | 4–6–0 (1–1–0) |
| November 10 | 7:05 pm | Army | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado (Rivalry) | FloHockey | Blessing | W 4–3 $^{OT}$ | 2,629 | 5–6–0 (2–1–0) |
| November 11 | 7:05 pm | Army | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado (Rivalry) | FloHockey | Blessing | W 4–0 | 2,250 | 6–6–0 (3–1–0) |
| November 18 | 5:05 pm | at Mercyhurst | Mercyhurst Ice Center • Erie, Pennsylvania | FloHockey | Blessing | W 5–2 | 734 | 7–6–0 (4–1–0) |
| November 19 | 5:05 pm | at Mercyhurst | Mercyhurst Ice Center • Erie, Pennsylvania | FloHockey | Blessing | L 1–5 | 783 | 7–7–0 (4–2–0) |
| November 24 | 11:00 am | at Canisius | LECOM Harborcenter • Buffalo, New York | FloHockey | Blessing | L 1–3 | 731 | 7–8–0 (4–3–0) |
| November 25 | 11:00 am | at Canisius | LECOM Harborcenter • Buffalo, New York | FloHockey | Blessing | T 2–2 $^{SOW}$ | 621 | 7–8–1 (4–3–1) |
| December 1 | 7:05 pm | Bentley | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey | Blessing | W 3–2 $^{OT}$ | 2,213 | 8–8–1 (5–3–1) |
| December 2 | 5:05 pm | Bentley | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey | Blessing | L 0–3 | 2,190 | 8–9–1 (5–4–1) |
| Holiday Face–Off ||||||||||
| December 28 | 6:30 pm | at #6 Wisconsin* | Fiserv Forum • Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Holiday Face–Off semifinal) | BSW | Blessing | L 0–3 | 8,652 | 8–10–1 |
| December 29 | 3:00 pm | vs. Minnesota Duluth* | Fiserv Forum • Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Holiday Face–Off consolation game) | BSW | Blessing | L 1–4 | 8,689 | 8–11–1 |
| January 5 | 5:05 pm | at Bentley | Bentley Arena • Waltham, Massachusetts | FloHockey | Blessing | W 3–1 | 1,389 | 9–11–1 (6–4–1) |
| January 6 | 5:05 pm | at Bentley | Bentley Arena • Waltham, Massachusetts | FloHockey | Blessing | W 7–3 | 1,555 | 10–11–1 (7–4–1) |
| January 12 | 7:05 pm | American International | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey, Altitude2 | Blessing | W 6–2 | 2,318 | 11–11–1 (8–4–1) |
| January 13 | 5:05 pm | American International | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey | Blessing | L 1–4 | 2,464 | 11–12–1 (8–5–1) |
| January 19 | 5:05 pm | at Army | Tate Rink • West Point, New York (Rivalry) | FloHockey | Blessing | W 8–1 | 2,528 | 12–12–1 (9–5–1) |
| January 20 | 2:05 pm | at Army | Tate Rink • West Point, New York (Rivalry) | FloHockey | Blessing | W 7–6 | 2,548 | 13–12–1 (10–5–1) |
| January 26 | 7:05 pm | Canisius | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey | Blessing | W 5–1 | 2,318 | 14–12–1 (11–5–1) |
| January 27 | 5:05 pm | Canisius | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey, Altitude | Blessing | L 3–5 | 2,424 | 14–13–1 (11–6–1) |
| February 2 | 5:05 pm | at Holy Cross | Hart Center • Worcester, Massachusetts | FloHockey | Blessing | L 3–6 | 1,906 | 14–14–1 (11–7–1) |
| February 3 | 5:05 pm | at Holy Cross | Hart Center • Worcester, Massachusetts | FloHockey | Blessing | L 2–5 | 1,812 | 14–15–1 (11–8–1) |
| February 9 | 7:05 pm | Sacred Heart | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey | Blessing | L 2–3 | 2,436 | 14–16–1 (11–9–1) |
| February 10 | 5:05 pm | Sacred Heart | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey, Altitude2 | Blessing | W 2–0 | 2,422 | 15–16–1 (12–9–1) |
| February 16 | 5:05 pm | at #20 RIT | Gene Polisseni Center • Henrietta, New York | FloHockey | Balboa | L 3–7 | 2,954 | 15–17–1 (12–10–1) |
| February 17 | 3:05 pm | at #20 RIT | Gene Polisseni Center • Henrietta, New York | FloHockey, Altitude2 | Blessing | W 3–2 | 4,300 | 16–17–1 (13–10–1) |
| February 23 | 7:05 pm | Robert Morris | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey | Blessing | W 5–2 | 2,670 | 17–17–1 (14–10–1) |
| February 24 | 5:05 pm | Robert Morris | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | FloHockey | Blessing | W 2–1 | 2,698 | 18–17–1 (15–10–1) |
| Atlantic Hockey Tournament ||||||||||
| March 8 | 7:05 pm | American International* | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado (Quarterfinal game 1) | FloHockey | Blessing | L 1–3 | 1,818 | 18–18–1 |
| March 9 | 7:05 pm | American International* | Cadet Ice Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado (Quarterfinal game 2) | FloHockey | Blessing | L 2–3 $^{OT}$ | 1,688 | 18–19–1 |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Mountain Time. Source: ||||||||||

## Scoring statistics

| Name | Position | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM |
| Chris Hedden | D | 38 | 8 | 29 | 37 | 37 |
| Will Gavin | F | 38 | 19 | 17 | 36 | 24 |
| Luke Rowe | D | 35 | 6 | 23 | 29 | 70 |
| Clayton Cosentino | F | 38 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 6 |
| Parker Brown | F | 37 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 27 |
| Austin Schwartz | F | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 10 |
| Mason McCormick | LW | 38 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 44 |
| Holt Oliphant | F | 38 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 10 |
| Andrew DeCarlo | F | 32 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 12 |
| Brendan Gibbons | F | 34 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 14 |
| Owen Baumgartner | D | 24 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 12 |
| Will Staring | D | 33 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 20 |
| Luke Robinson | D | 38 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 32 |
| Brian Adams | F | 30 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 |
| Nate Horn | F | 33 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 |
| Sam Brennan | D | 36 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 16 |
| Owen Dubois | F | 30 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Nick Remissong | F | 34 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 19 |
| Nolan Cunningham | D | 26 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Lucas Coon | F | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Mitchell Digby | D | 27 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
| Jacob Marti | F | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21 |
| Ethan Ullrick | F | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Jasper Lester | D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maiszon Balboa | G | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carter Clafton | G | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Guy Blessing | G | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sam Jacobs | F | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Callahan | D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | | | 115 | 187 | 302 | 424 |

## Goaltending statistics

| Name | Games | Minutes | Wins | Losses | Ties | Goals against | Saves | Shutouts | SV % | GAA |
| Carter Clafton | 9 | 10:46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 |
| Guy Blessing | 38 | 2159:38 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 101 | 895 | 2 | .899 | 2.81 |
| Maiszon Balboa | 11 | 99:29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 39 | 0 | .886 | 3.02 |
| Empty Net | - | 40:10 | - | - | - | 13 | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 38 | 2310:03 | 18 | 19 | 1 | 119 | 937 | 2 | .889 | 3.09 |

## Rankings

| Poll | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 (Final) |
| USCHO.com | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | – | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | – | NR |
| USA Hockey | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | – | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in weeks 11 and 25. Note: USA Hockey did not release a poll in week 12.

## Awards and honors

| Player | Award |
| Luke Robinson | Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award |
| Austin Schwartz | Atlantic Hockey Best Defensive Forward |
| Will Gavin | Atlantic Hockey First Team |
| Chris Hedden | Atlantic Hockey Second Team |
| Luke Rowe | Atlantic Hockey Third Team |