Friday, October 17
USAFA, CO
7:05 pm MT
Air Force Academy
vs
University of St. Thomas
Air Force hosts St. Thomas (rv), Oct. 17-18
10/14/2025 11:05:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
THE GAMES
Game 1: vs. St. Thomas (rv), Friday, Oct. 17, 7:05 pm MT, Cadet Ice Arena
Game 2: vs. St. Thomas (rv), Saturday, Oct. 18, 8:05 pm MT, Cadet Ice Arena
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Radio: Friday: XtraSports 1300 AM / xtrasports1300.com; Sat.: KVOR AM 740/kvor.com
Live Stats StatBroadcast
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts: Air Force St. Thomas
Record: 0-1-1 1-2-0
Streak: L 1 L 2
Last Series: T DU, 1-1; L CC, 2-4 L at North Dakota, 2-6, 2-5
THE COACHES
Head Coach: Frank Serratore Rico Blasi
School Record: 472-458-103 (29th yr) 447–402–86(25th yr)
Career Record: 521-550-112 (33rd yr) 49–91–9 (5th yr)
THE SERIES
Overall: AF Leads: 28-9-1
Last Meeting: Split at AFA, Nov. 21-22, 1997; L 2-3, W 5-3
Streak: AF W 1
One Timers
* Junior Carter Clafton made a career-high 58 saves against fifth-ranked Denver. The 58 saves were the most ever by a Falcon in the conference era (since 1999) and set a new Atlantic Hockey record. The Air Force record for saves in a game is 64, by Dave Spannbauer vs. Lake Forest, Nov. 15, 1975.
* Sophomore LW Will Dawson scored Air Force's goal against Denver, the third goal of his career
* Fellow sophomore C Nick Sajavic collected his sixth career assist
* The line of LW Will Dawson, C Nick Sajevic and RW Sam Stitz was Air Force's top line against Denver and CC. Last season, that line played the last 10 games together, combining for nine goals and 20 points in that time. In the playoff win over Robert Morris, that line combined for six (2-4-6) of the team's 12 points.
* Air Force's three goals last weekend came from three different lines
* Air Force blocked 20 shots against Denver, Oct. 11. The Falcons set the school record last season with 560 blocks. The Falcons blocked 16 more against Colorado College on Saturday, Oct. 11. Air Force's season-high, in a non-double overtime game last season, was 22 blocked shots in the 4-1 win over Bentley, Jan. 11.
* The Falcon penalty kill is perfect this season, killing both of DU's power plays and all four vs. CC
* Air Force's tie against No. 5 Denver snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Pioneers
* Hedden was named to the AHA preseason all-conference team
* Air Force was picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches' poll
* Air Force opened the 2025-26 season with a 3-2 overtime loss at Omaha (receiving votes). Senior captain Chris Hedden and freshman Oliver Genest scored for the Falcons. Junior Carter Clafton played all 60:33 and made 26 saves.
Series vs. the Tommies
Air Force holds a 28-9-1 lead in the series against the Tommies. Air Force and St. Thomas have played 38 times, but not since 1997. This will be the first meeting since St. Thomas went Division I in 2021. The last time the teams met was in head coach Frank Serratore's first season at Air Force. St. Thomas won the first game, 3-2, while Air Force won game two, 5-3.
Scouting the Tommies
St. Thomas is 1-2-0 this season. The Tommies opened the season with a 4-3 win at St. Cloud State (rv) and then lost a pair of games to No. 10 North Dakota, 6-2 and 5-2, in Grand Forks. Alex Gaffney leads the team with four points in three games. Lucas Wahlin leads the team with three goals. Carsen Musser has started all three games and has a .829 saves percentage and a 5.00 GAA. The St. Thomas hockey program made the jump from Division III to Division I in 2021. St. Thomas is currently a member of the CCHA, placing third in the league last season. St. Thomas fell to Minnesota State in the CCHA championship game last season and were picked to finish second in the 2025-26 preseason coaches' poll. St. Thomas will join the NCHC for the 2026-27 season.
Game 1: vs. St. Thomas (rv), Friday, Oct. 17, 7:05 pm MT, Cadet Ice Arena
Game 2: vs. St. Thomas (rv), Saturday, Oct. 18, 8:05 pm MT, Cadet Ice Arena
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Radio: Friday: XtraSports 1300 AM / xtrasports1300.com; Sat.: KVOR AM 740/kvor.com
Live Stats StatBroadcast
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts: Air Force St. Thomas
Record: 0-1-1 1-2-0
Streak: L 1 L 2
Last Series: T DU, 1-1; L CC, 2-4 L at North Dakota, 2-6, 2-5
THE COACHES
Head Coach: Frank Serratore Rico Blasi
School Record: 472-458-103 (29th yr) 447–402–86(25th yr)
Career Record: 521-550-112 (33rd yr) 49–91–9 (5th yr)
THE SERIES
Overall: AF Leads: 28-9-1
Last Meeting: Split at AFA, Nov. 21-22, 1997; L 2-3, W 5-3
Streak: AF W 1
One Timers
* Junior Carter Clafton made a career-high 58 saves against fifth-ranked Denver. The 58 saves were the most ever by a Falcon in the conference era (since 1999) and set a new Atlantic Hockey record. The Air Force record for saves in a game is 64, by Dave Spannbauer vs. Lake Forest, Nov. 15, 1975.
* Sophomore LW Will Dawson scored Air Force's goal against Denver, the third goal of his career
* Fellow sophomore C Nick Sajavic collected his sixth career assist
* The line of LW Will Dawson, C Nick Sajevic and RW Sam Stitz was Air Force's top line against Denver and CC. Last season, that line played the last 10 games together, combining for nine goals and 20 points in that time. In the playoff win over Robert Morris, that line combined for six (2-4-6) of the team's 12 points.
* Air Force's three goals last weekend came from three different lines
* Air Force blocked 20 shots against Denver, Oct. 11. The Falcons set the school record last season with 560 blocks. The Falcons blocked 16 more against Colorado College on Saturday, Oct. 11. Air Force's season-high, in a non-double overtime game last season, was 22 blocked shots in the 4-1 win over Bentley, Jan. 11.
* The Falcon penalty kill is perfect this season, killing both of DU's power plays and all four vs. CC
* Air Force's tie against No. 5 Denver snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Pioneers
* Hedden was named to the AHA preseason all-conference team
* Air Force was picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches' poll
* Air Force opened the 2025-26 season with a 3-2 overtime loss at Omaha (receiving votes). Senior captain Chris Hedden and freshman Oliver Genest scored for the Falcons. Junior Carter Clafton played all 60:33 and made 26 saves.
Series vs. the Tommies
Air Force holds a 28-9-1 lead in the series against the Tommies. Air Force and St. Thomas have played 38 times, but not since 1997. This will be the first meeting since St. Thomas went Division I in 2021. The last time the teams met was in head coach Frank Serratore's first season at Air Force. St. Thomas won the first game, 3-2, while Air Force won game two, 5-3.
Scouting the Tommies
St. Thomas is 1-2-0 this season. The Tommies opened the season with a 4-3 win at St. Cloud State (rv) and then lost a pair of games to No. 10 North Dakota, 6-2 and 5-2, in Grand Forks. Alex Gaffney leads the team with four points in three games. Lucas Wahlin leads the team with three goals. Carsen Musser has started all three games and has a .829 saves percentage and a 5.00 GAA. The St. Thomas hockey program made the jump from Division III to Division I in 2021. St. Thomas is currently a member of the CCHA, placing third in the league last season. St. Thomas fell to Minnesota State in the CCHA championship game last season and were picked to finish second in the 2025-26 preseason coaches' poll. St. Thomas will join the NCHC for the 2026-27 season.
Players Mentioned
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