Cadet Ice Arena

    The Cadet Ice Arena, with a capacity of 2,502, is gaining a reputation as one of the nation's toughest places for an opponent to win.

    Sitting at more than 7,000 feet above sea level, air is rare at the Air Force Academy. Meanwhile, the Falcons have won 61 percent of all games played in the arena. In 29 seasons, the Falcons have had just six losing seasons. The team's record of 316-197-16 merely scratches the surface.

    The Falcons have defeated some of the nation's top teams at the Academy. Army, Colorado College, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Illinois, Western Michigan, RIT, Brown, Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks are just the beginning of the list to fall at the Cadet Ice Arena. In service academy competition, the true measure of any academy team, the Falcons are 6-1-1 against Army at the Cadet Ice Arena.

    The Falcons first season of varsity hockey was the 1968-69 season when the team posted a 5-7 record at home. Air Force then went on to eight straight winning seasons at home. The team finished 17-1 at home in 1974-75 and 14-3 at home in 1976-77. The team set a school record by winning 13 straight home games from Nov. 11, 1974 to Jan. 13, 1975. After two straight losing seasons at home, Frank Serratore brought the winning ways to the "CIA". In 1997-98, the Falcons posted a 13-8-0 record, the best winning percentage in nine years.

    The Cadet Ice Arena is a part of the Cadet Field House which was completed in 1968. The 5.6 million dollar field house is five stories high and 396 feet by 426 feet, the size of three football fields laid side by side. The structure is divided into three areas: basketball, hockey and indoor track. The three sections have a combined seating capacity of more than 11,000. Clune Arena, the home of the Air Force men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams, seats, 6,002. The indoor track area is a 1/6-mile tartan surface track with an astroturf infield. It has been the host of the past four Western Athletic Conference Championships. The Cadet Field House is also home to a training room, locker rooms, ticket offices, gift shop, concession stand and offices for the athletic department coaching staff and administration.

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