Third Period Goal Puts Air Force Past Men’s Hockey 3-2

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USAFA, Colo.  (February 5, 2009) - For the second time this season, the University of Connecticut men’s hockey team allowed Air Force to get out to a 2-0 lead and for the second time this season the Huskies were able to come back and tie the game up at 2-2. This time however, UConn (6-21-1, 5-14-1 Atlantic Hockey) allowed the Falcons (18-7-2, 15-4-2) to score one more goal at 8:19 in the third period which was enough for the 3-2 victory.

Air Force jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first after an even-strength and power play goal. Sean Bertsch scored the first goal of the game for the Falcons at 3:36 and Matt Fairchild added the power play goal to go up 2-0 heading into the first intermission.

The second period though, was all about the Huskies. UConn cut the lead in half when sophomore Matt Pedemonti (Enfield, Conn.) scored his second goal of the season at 12:00. Senior Sean Erickson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and junior Chris Ochoa (Santa Monica, Calif.) added assists on the play. Erickson’s assist brought his season total to 10 and his career total to 52 which put him into a tie for fourth on the UConn Division I Career Assists list with Kurt Kamienski.

Just 13 seconds into the third period UConn struck again to tie the game up at two-apiece. Sophomore Jason Krispel (Cypress, Calif.) added to his outstanding point total by scoring his second goal of the season for the Huskies with a little help from rookies Marcello Ranallo (Burnaby, B.C.) and Corey Jendras (Abingdon, Md.). Ranallo’s assist was his 14^th of the season which puts him in second place tie among Atlantic Hockey freshmen with assists recorded this season. Jendras' was his fourth of the year. 

It was the final goal which settled the score and in this case it was in Air Force’s favor. The Falcons went on to remain undefeated against the Huskies during the 2008-09 season and to win their 15^th Atlantic Hockey and 18^th overall game.

The two teams return to the ice tomorrow, Saturday January 7, 2009 to meet up in their final regular season match of the year which will begin at 9:05 ET / 7:05 MT.

-UCONN-