Air Force Academy

March 20, 2011

USAFA, Colo. - For the fourth time in five years, Air Force will be playing in the NCAA Hockey Tournament. The Falcons (20-11-6) are the fourth seed in the NCAA East Regional and will face top-seeded Yale (27-6-1) on Friday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m. ET at the Webster Bank's Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn. The game will be televised live on ESPN U. Union and Minnesota-Duluth will play in the other regional semifinal game at 3:00 p.m. ET. The two semifinal winners will meet in the Elite Eight regional final on Saturday, March 26 for the right to play in the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn., April 7-9.

Air Force is playing in its school record fourth NCAA Tournament as the Falcons also won the Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The Falcons are 1-3 in the NCAA Tournament with the only win coming against third-ranked Michigan, 2-0, in 2009. Air Force's last NCAA game was a 3-2 double overtime loss to Vermont in the 2009 East Regional in Bridgeport, Conn. Air Force is 1-2 all-time in Bridgeport. AFA was 1-1 in the 2009 NCAA Regional and the Falcons fell to Sacred Heart, 4-2, earlier this season in Bridgeport.

Air Force and Yale played earlier this season and the Falcons upset the third-ranked Bulldogs, 4-3, at the Cadet Ice Arena, Nov. 14. In that game, Yale scored early in the third period for a 3-0 lead, but the Falcons came back with four unanswered goals. Scott Mathis scored on the power play and Paul Weisgarber scored a short-handed goal to make it 3-2. Jason Fabian tied the game and then Stephen Carew scored the game-winner with 3:52 remaining. Freshman goalie Jason Torf earned his first career win, recording 34 saves. Yale outshot Air Force, 37-29, in the game. Yale climbed to No. 1 in the country three weeks later and spent much of the season holding the top spot. The Bulldogs are the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.