College hockey seasons are fragile and perhaps few teams know that better than the two that play in the Colorado Springs area. The Air Force Falcons were soaring high in mid January with a near-.500 record after a trio of even series with the top three teams in Atlantic Hockey America.
Fast forward to Saturday, and Air Force has dropped six-straight games with the latest being a 3-2 overtime loss to visiting Rochester Institute of Technology. With the result, Air Force (11-18-1) captured just one of an available 12 points toward conference standings from a four-game homestand. The Tigers (7-20-1) erased two one-score deficits and forward Tanner Andrew scored in the 3-on-3 overtime period at 2:55 to seal the win and the sweep.
Before the overtime heartbreak for the Falcons, the game began in euphoric fashion for the hosts as sophomore winger Owen Dubois scored in the opening minute of play. Tigers forward Matthew Wilde responded at 3:05 of the period. Air Force pulled ahead again in the second period as junior winger Holt Oliphant scored at 7:49.
But once again, RIT didn't let Air Force leave the frame with the lead. Forward Tyler Mahan netted equalizer at 14:15. Much like on Friday night, Air Force's power play unit struggled as the Falcons went 0-for-5 on the man advantage.
Air Force had nine power plays on the weekend and did not score on any of them. “We got out special teamed tonight,” Falcons head coach Frank Serratore said in a radio interview. “We have a lot of t.