Hockey: Air Force shuts out Canisius 5-0

  • Published
  • By Dave Toller
  • U.S. Air Force Academy
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNEWS) --  Air Force goalie Ben Worker stopped all 21 shots he faced and Andrew Ramsey scored two goals as the Falcons beat Canisius 5-0 in an Atlantic Hockey Association game Feb. 17 at the academy's Cadet Ice Arena.

Air Force snapped a five-game losing streak with the victory and improved to 14-15-5 overall and 11-10-5 in the league. Canisius fell to 9-22-2 overall and 9-16-2. The two teams split the season series at two games each.

With the victory Air Force remained in fifth place in the league with 27 points. The Falcons are four points ahead of Holy Cross and need just one point in the final regular-season series, or a Holy Cross loss next week vs. University of Connecticut, to clinch home ice advantage in the playoffs. The academy is also just one point behind fourth-place Connecticut.

Air Force got on the board first as Mike Phillipich scored his 13th goal of the season at the 9:13 mark of the first period. Theo Zacour and Billy Devoney assisted as Phillipich stick-handled through a defenseman at the top of the circle and fired a wrister that beat Andrew Loewen.

The Falcons increased their lead to 2-0 early in the second period on a power play. Eric Ehn made a perfect cross-ice pass to Ramsey at the weak-side post. Ramsey buried the shot as freshman Jeff Hajner also assisted on the play.

Three goals in the third period, all from the Falcons' top line, put the game out of reach. Each of the three forwards on the top line scored in the period. Ehn scored his league-leading 22nd of the season at the 2:48 mark from Hajner and Ramsey. Hajner dropped the puck to Ehn at the blue line and the junior center skated in one on two. His wrister from the high slot gave the Falcons a 3-0 lead. Four minutes later, Ramsey scored from Ehn and Hajner for a 4-0 advantage. After a turnover behind the Canisius goal, Hajner took a shot from the corner that was saved, but Ramsey put back the rebound for this second goal of the night, his third of the series and his 18th of the season.

With 4:48 left in the third period, Hajner scored his 11th of the year for a 5-0 lead. Ehn won the faceoff in the offensive end and Ramsey fired a shot that was saved. Hajner put back the rebound for his fourth point of the game.

The Falcons out-shot the Golden Griffins 36-21 in the game. Worker stopped all 21 shots he faced for his second career shutout and his fourth win of the season. His last shutout came at Bentley, 2-0, Jan. 27. Air Force was 1-for-5 on the power play while Canisius was 0-for-6.

"I told our guys that they made a mistake tonight because they showed everyone how good they could be," head coach Frank Serratore said. "This should be the norm of how we play. It was a total team effort."

Air Force concludes the regular season at American International College in Springfield, Mass., Feb. 23-24. Should the Falcons clinch home ice advantage, the academy would host a playoff game March 10 at the Cadet Ice Arena.

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