Hockey: Falcons beat 4th-ranked Denver, 5-2

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U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  U.S. Air Force Academy sophomore Matt Fairchild scored his first career hat trick as the Falcons defeated fourth-ranked Denver 5-2 Jan. 18 at the Cadet Ice Arena here.

The Academy earned their first win over Denver since 1980, breaking a 19-game losing streak to the Pioneers, and it was also the first time Air Force had ever defeated the Pioneers at home. 

Fourth-ranked Denver was the highest opponent Air Force has defeated since beating fourth-ranked Colorado College, 7-6 in overtime, at the Academy in 1976. The Air Force is now 3-1-1 vs. ranked teams this season.

The Falcons, ranked 22nd in the nation, improved to 12-7-4 overall. Denver fell to 17-6 on the season.

The Falcons never trailed in the game as freshman Derrick Burnett scored at 8:03 of the first period. Eric Ehn won a draw in the neutral zone and got the puck to Greg Flynn. Flynn gave it back to Ehn who started a two-on-two rush down the left wing. His pass through the slot was right on the tape of Burnett, who scored his third goal of the season. 

With five seconds left in the first period, Fairchild scored his first of the game, and his second short-handed goal in the last four games. Denver was killing time deep in their end and lost control of the puck and Fairchild beat the DU goalie from in tight.

Midway through the second period, Josh Schaffer scored the eventual game-winner at the 11:03 mark on an odd-man rush. Josh Print started the rush down the left wing. He centered the puck to Mike Phillipich whose shot was saved, but Schaffer collected the loose puck just outside the top of the crease and scored his second of the season.

Four minutes later, Fairchild scored his second of the game. Olson made a centering pass from the corner and Fairchild beat the Denver goalie from right in front for a 4-0 lead. Jeff Hajner also assisted on the play. 

DU cut the Air Force lead to 4-2, and with just more than five minutes remaining, DU pulled their goalie from the net in favor of the extra skater. But the Falcons capitalized when Fairchild netted his third of the game with 4:52 remaining from Hajner and Olson into the empty net.

"Our focus was exceptional tonight," said Frank Serratore, the Falcons head coach. "The only coaching I did was to keep encouraging them to keep playing hard not to go into the prevent defense. Getting the lead was huge. Never in my dreams did I think we would get ahead like that."

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