The Chargers continued to steam closer to the top seed in the College Hockey America tournament with a 5-4 and 4-2 over Air Force on the road. The Chargers only need one win against Findlay in the final regular season series to clinch first place.
The Chargers have now won 11 of their last 14 games, including a 12-game unbeaten streak in the CHA. The only blemish on an otherwise perfect conference run during the streak is a 3-3 tie to Findlay.
On Friday night, senior center Ron Baker shot the Falcons down scoring his first career hat trick. His goal with 39 seconds left in the game, tied the score at 4-4 and sent the game into overtime. In overtime, Baker scored the game-winner at the 1:56 mark.
UAH jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Baker's first goal of the night. Air Force tied the score on a goal at 12:38 by Brian Rodgers off of a rebound shot.
Andy Berg gave the Falcons their first lead just 24 seconds into the second period. The Chargers came right back with a goal by Karlis Zirnis two minutes later, tying the score at 2-all.
Berg put the Falcons back in front with a goal at the 5:34 mark with a power play goal. With less than three minutes left, Mike Funk scored his 11th goal of the season to tie the game up at 3-3.
Rodgers struck again at 8:06 in the third period to put Air Force back in front 4-3. The lead stood until the final minute of the game when the Chargers pulled goalie Mark Byrne for the extra attacker. Baker took advantage of the opportunity when he scored off of a mad scramble in front of the net.
On the game-winner, Funk and Baker skated into the neutral zone against three Falcons. Funk gave Baker the pass on the right wing and he beat Falcon goalie Marc Kielkucki on the short side.
The Chargers outshot the Falcons 46-25 in the first game. Byrne finished the game with 21 saves, while his counterpart Kielkucki stopped 41 Charger shots.
On Saturday night, the Chargers scored two third period goals to break a 2-2 tie en route to the win. Charger winger Joel Bresciani scored what would be the game winner with 4:55 left in the final period. Bresciani scored off of a rebounded shot on the right side of the crease. The Chargers added an empty-net goal with 37 seconds left to salt away the sweep.
Air Force took an early lead on a first period goal by Brian Gornick. Steve Charlebois knotted things up with a shorthanded goal at 5:42 in the first. The goal was his eighth of the season.
The Chargers took the lead when the Falcons turned the puck over in their own zone. The Chargers had a 2 on 0 breakaway against Kielkucki. Baker found a wide open Jessi Otis who fired the puck past the Falcon netminder for his 10th goal of the season.
Berg tied the game for Air Force with a goal early in the second period. The score stayed that way until Bresciani netted the game-winner at the 15:05 mark of the third period.
Once again, the Chargers outshot the Falcons 42-30 in the game. Adam MacLean had 28 saves, while Kielkucki had 38 stops.
Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore
Next Series: at Findlay, in Findlay, OH, on February 23-24..Faceoff on both nights is at 7:05 P.M.
