Air Force Academy

Week: The Falcons' home opener is Friday, Oct. 22, against No. 12 Colorado College (2-0) at the Cadet Ice Arena. The faceoff is at 7:35 p.m. The game will be televised by Altitude Sports and Entertainment. Air Force will then host Quinnipiac (2-0), Sunday, Oct. 24, at 5:05 p.m.
The Rankings: In this week's USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, Colorado College is ranked 11th while Quinnipiac is ranked 20th.
Television: The Colorado College game will be televised live regionally by Altitude Sports and Entertainment. Doug McLeod (play-by-play) and Peter McNab (color) will call the game. The game is available on Adelphia channel 54.
Radio/Internet: The game will be broadcast on the radio and the internet by Jeff Thomas and Jim Paradise on AM 1240. The game will also be available on the internet at www.CCTigers.com. The Quinnipiac game will be broadcast on the internet at www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com.
The Coaches: Air Force coach Frank Serratore is in his eighth season with the Falcons. Serratore has a 106-134-16 record at AFA and a 155-225-25 record in his 12th year. Colorado College coach Scott Owens is in his sixth season with the Tigers. Owens has a C.C. and overall record of 124-67-15. Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold is in his 11th season with the Bobcats. He has a QU and career record of 185-105-28.
Home Openers: Head coach Frank Serratore is unbeaten in seven home openers. The eighth-year head coach is 6-0-1 in the first home game of the season. Last season, Air Force swept AIC, 5-1 and 5-1, in the first home series of the season. In the season-opening home series, AFA is 12-1-1 with the only loss coming to Neb.-Omaha in 1997-98.
Scouting the Opponents: Colorado College opened the season with a pair of 4-2 wins over Union last weekend at the World Arena. The Tigers were 20-16-3 overall last season and 11-15-2 for seventh place in the WCHA. The Tigers return 21 of 26 lettermen from last season's team. The top returning scorer is junior Marty Sertich (11-28-39). Quinnipiac opened the season by winning its own tournament, the Q Cup, last weekend. The Bobcats came from behind to beat AIC in the first round, 3-2. The home team then beat Bentley, 3-0, in the championship game. The Bobcats were 15-14-6 overall last season and placed third in Atlantic Hockey with a 12-6-6 record.
Last Season vs. C.C.: Colorado College scored two goals in the first period and two in the third for a 4-2 win over Air Force, Nov. 28, 2003, at the World Arena. In the first period, Josh Priewe's slap shot beat Tiger Matt Zaba to tie the game at 1-1, but CC answered as Joey Crabb scored with 3:04 left in the first. After a scoreless second period, Theo Zacour's goal from Mike Knaeble at 6:29 of the third period tied the game at 2-2. Aaron Slattengren and Brady Greco scored for the Tigers for a 4-2 win. CC outshot Air Force, 29-18. Mike Polidor made 25 saves.
Last Season vs. Quinnipiac: Air Force faced Quinnipiac in the championship game of the 2003 Quinnipiac Cup and the Bobcats beat the Falcons, 4-3 in overtime. Quinnipiac scored three goals in the second period and held a 3-0 lead with less than nine minutes remaining. However, three straight power-play goals by Andrew Ramsey, Ryan Wiggins and Shane Saum (with 1:04 remaining) tied the score and sent the game into overtime. QU's John Kelly ended the game with an unassisted goal at 2:34 to lift the Bobcats to a 4-3 win.
Best Start Since ... : AFA's 1-0-1 record is the best start since the 2000-01 team opened the season with a pair of win over American International. That team finished the season with a 16-17-4 overall record. Last season, the Falcons opened the season at the Quinnipiac Cup and split two games.
On Deck: Air Force hits the road again and goes back to the East Coast for a two-game series with Holy Cross, Friday-Saturday, Oct. 29-30, in Worcester, Mass. The faceoff is at 7:30 p.m. EST each night. Holy Cross won the Atlantic Hockey conference and advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, losing to Miami in the quarterfinals at the World Arena.