Air Force Beats #5 CC!

[MagnessMan]

Re: Air Force Beats #5 CC!

Hey, it's a big deal for us. First win against CC at the World Arena!

Congrats on the upset. It's a big deal to go into their building and beat them on the larger sheet. Not only was it the first win in the cement toilet it was the first win at CC since 1985.
Sounded like it was a great game. The shots in the third were 17-2 CC. Caple is tough. I'm looking forward to being down there tomorrow. I expect it will be a battle. I love to watch AF play. They bring so much determination to the game.

[MagnessMan]

Re: Air Force Beats #5 CC!

Great quotes...

"This was a special win for our guys and especially for our seniors," head coach Frank Serratore said. "This senior class is 2-2 against CC and that is something special. We have played so many ranked teams and we've beaten a few, but most were in the friendly confines of the Cadet Ice Arena. The other was at a neutral site. Now we are playing for the state championship tomorrow (against Denver) in our building. These are the Air Force Falcons. We'll put our best foot forward and go for it. We'll have to play awfully well."

[MagnessMan]

Re: Air Force Beats #5 CC!

woo hoo!! AF!! AND Serratore hands it to the WCHA officials in the postgame!

Walsh and Adam. I'm glad to have Atlantic refs tomorrow. WCHA refs are an embarrassment. Anybody got a link to Frank's remarks?

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

Well next time, put a "lol" out there.

I agree. It's too much to ask people to use common sense around here...

[MagnessMan]

Re: Air Force Beats #5 CC!

I agree. It's too much to ask people to use common sense around here...

At ease soldier (insert something here).

[Patman]

Re: Air Force Beats #5 CC!

Military Academies cannot recruit Canadians.

uhm... it's happened... I think... has to be some agreement of reciprocity or something... i know one of the service academies had a canuck on it at one point.

[Bullitt]

Re: Air Force Beats #5 CC!

Bullitt, I'm sure you're pumped for the the AFA victory but you should be real with yourself. 17 SHO won't win many games in the WCHA or even Atlantic Hockey. Congrats to the fly boys but I'm not sure you owe them a parade just yet. Anyway, enjoy the victory dude but remember CC swept the Vadgers early in the year. Pick a team already...

Ok, I'll bite. I normally don't respond to comments like yours, but since you're so bold...

I'm real with myself, nice try. Anytime cadets beat a ranked team, it's quite the accomplishment...in any sport.

Who said anything about a parade? DUH

I am enjoying the victory, thank you very much.

Yes, I remember the Badger/CC series...I was there for both games. I've also seen the Badgers crush CC, quite a few times. By the way, when was the last time CC won a national championship??? haahaaahaaaa How many national championships does CC have? Win a few championships and then you can earn some respect and talk smack.

"Pick a team already". Seriously? Is there some secret rule that you can only have one team? If you really must know why...I grew up in Wisconsin, played hockey as a kid, and always watched the Badgers play hockey as much as I could...always been a fan. Fast forward 20+ years...my Air Force career finished up at the AF Academy. I have great respect for the cadets, for who they are on and off the ice/field/court as well as their future service to their country. They're cadets/students first and then athletes, unlike most schools. I will always pull for the Service Academies, regardless of who they are playing.

[JW Tigers]

Re: Air Force Beats #5 CC!

Ok, I'll bite. I normally don't respond to comments like yours, but since you're so bold...

I'm real with myself, nice try. Anytime cadets beat a ranked team, it's quite the accomplishment...in any sport.

Who said anything about a parade? DUH

I am enjoying the victory, thank you very much.

Yes, I remember the Badger/CC series...I was there for both games. I've also seen the Badgers crush CC, quite a few times. By the way, when was the last time CC won a national championship??? haahaaahaaaa How many national championships does CC have? Win a few championships and then you can earn some respect and talk smack.

"Pick a team already". Seriously? Is there some secret rule that you can only have one team? If you really must know why...I grew up in Wisconsin, played hockey as a kid, and always watched the Badgers play hockey as much as I could...always been a fan. Fast forward 20+ years...my Air Force career finished up at the AF Academy. I have great respect for the cadets, for who they are on and off the ice/field/court as well as their future service to their country. They're cadets/students first and then athletes, unlike most schools. I will always pull for the Service Academies, regardless of who they are playing.

Without commenting too much on Wisconsin (who CC has absolutely OWNED in recent years) and how classless Mike Eaves is, I will agree with everything you say about Air Force.

Anyone who is still surprised by AFA doesn't pay attention to college hockey, or simply has their head in the sand. This is the biggest pain in the *** team for opponents to play against in the entire country because they are fast, disciplined, smart, hard working, and relentless for every second of every shift. Not to mention the fact that they are as well coached as any team in the country. I love Air Force hockey, and go to quite a few of their games in addition to all CC games. Tonight was a well played, hard fought, clean game by both teams, IMO, and Stephen Caple stood on his head, especially in the 3rd period. So I congratulate my second favorite team for beating my favorite team.

[Zoomie]

uhm... it's happened... I think... has to be some agreement of reciprocity or something... i know one of the service academies had a canuck on it at one point.

Only Americans can attend Service Academies. There are foreign exchange cadets from other countries that are sponsored by their government to attend - I dont recall there ever being a Canadian cadet, at least not at AFA. Foreign exchange cadets do not play intercollegiate sports regardless.

[Jimjamesak]

Oh, and you guys did it with your Canadian team...Air Force has ZERO Canadians! *Yawn*

What's your record? *Yawn*

Oh I forgot how deplorable it is to use Canadians. And a "what's your record comment?" cute.

Lighten up Francis.

[moose97]

Re: Air Force Beats #5 CC!

Only Americans can attend Service Academies. There are foreign exchange cadets from other countries that are sponsored by their government to attend - I dont recall there ever being a Canadian cadet, at least not at AFA. Foreign exchange cadets do not play intercollegiate sports regardless.

ahem:

http://www.uscho.com/stats/player/mid,9055/theo-zacour/
http://www.uscho.com/stats/player/mi...stin-hamilton/

[mookie1995]

ahem:

http://www.uscho.com/stats/player/mid,9055/theo-zacour/
http://www.uscho.com/stats/player/mi...stin-hamilton/

Moooooooooooooooooooose!!!!!!!

[81Stalagian]

Re: Air Force Beats #5 CC!

Only Americans can attend Service Academies. There are foreign exchange cadets from other countries that are sponsored by their government to attend - I dont recall there ever being a Canadian cadet, at least not at AFA. Foreign exchange cadets do not play intercollegiate sports regardless.

We have one semester exchanges with the Royal Canadian Military Academy, but that's it. No Canadian citizen has played intercollegiate hockey at AFA. The four-year cadets from other countries at USAFA are usually from other allied or developing nations on a onesi/twosie basis and the recruiting pool for DI hockey players is pretty sparse for countries like Singapore, Rwanda, and Senegal.

[81Stalagian]

Re: Air Force Beats #5 CC!

ahem:

http://www.uscho.com/stats/player/mid,9055/theo-zacour/
http://www.uscho.com/stats/player/mi...stin-hamilton/

Whatever their "hometown", they were 'Mercan citizens. That's the law. We've had players who list their hometown from many international cities (mainly military stationed overseas), but that doesn't mean they're citizens of that country. Our football team always seems to have a couple of Germans or even a Japanese city listed among the hometowns.

[81Stalagian]

Re: Air Force Beats #5 CC!

My obs from the AFA board:
JWTigers wrote: "That was one hell of a hockey game tonight. Both teams played well, in my opinion, but Stephen Caple was OUT OF HIS MIND in goal for AFA. All I can do is congratulate my second favorite team on their win against my favorite team. I want to make a quick mention of what an incredibly clean game this was. There was not a single scrum after the whistle, no bad penalties, or anything of the like. Just a good, clean, hard fought, well played game."

Absolutely, shockingly true. In past games (IMHO) CC has picked fights with AFA to (try to) make them lose their composure, incite penalties, etc. That was especially true at the last game at the World Arena two years ago. This game had only 5 total penalties, and one was very questionable.

CC came out tough in the first few minutes of the first period and AFA took a minute or two to adjust to the speed of the game and the size of the sheet. But, from there they dominated the next 25-30 minutes of play with superior skating speed and defense. The Falcons seemed to have repeated odd-man rushes and CC was lucky that they were only down 2 midway through the second. Late in the 2nd, CC's sense of urgency seemed to return and they really took over the game. For me, the key to the game may have been AFA keeping CC scoreless through the last 5-8 minutes of the 2nd period and then for the first seven minutes of the third.

We had perfectly painful, anxiety ridden seats for the 3rd period just behind and off of Caple's right shoulder in the corner of the arena and had several minor infarctions as we saw CC throw centering pass after centering pass across the face of the goal. Caple was truly magnificent and it's impressive that he's played his role so well--always as the backup, never the REAL starter until last night. Now, after that game-winning performance, no matter how healthy Torf is, I think it's almost impossible for FS to replace him unless Caple visibly faulters more than once or twice. For a senior who's supported the team and been in the shadows most of his career, I couldn't be prouder of him.

AFA's defensemen may be the best crew in the NCAA. They skate off everyone and make more steals than I can count. Mathis and Kirby were awesome. I think what makes AFA so tough, though, may be the balance between our lines. When CC's top two lines are on the ice, they are very, very impressive and tough, but the third line (and beyond) seem like a break in the action. Not so with AFA. I really struggle to distinguish one line from the other and I know all of these guys.

Now, the thing that almost cost AFA the game was our face-off play. We just got crushed on the dot. I've never seen a team so dominate us as CC. I think the final count was 34-20, but it sure seemed worse until the very end with Weisgarber won a key faceoff at mid-ice with :46 to go.

I don't know how many of you listened to FS on the postgame show, but he was classic. I'll see if I can find a link and post it. He unrepentedly bashed the WCHA officiating crew for this game AND previous bad calls in AFA-CC games with specific examples of where, after the fact, even the SCHA officials admitted to their mistakes.

Tonight's game should be a barn-burner. I hope Union took some fire our of DU last night, despite their loss. I know Frank will be pushing this game to the guys as the "Colorado State Hockey Championship Game," so I expect that we'll be ready. I'll be in Section EE on the North Blue Line. See you there!

Stalag Out!