University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Air Force
Falcons Narrowly Edge Huskies 2-1
1/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Jan. 8, 2010
USAFA, Colo. - A late goal scored by Air Force's Tim Kirby edged the Falcons 2-1 past the University of Connecticut hockey team on Friday night at the Cadet Ice Arena in front of a sellout crowd of 2,721, UConn's largest audience this season. The game was also broadcasted live on national television on CBS -College Sports TV as the Huskies played in front of their first national audience.
The Huskies drop to 2-15-2 on the season and 2-10-2 in Atlantic Hockey action while Air Force improves to 9-8-4 on the year, 9-4-4 in AHA play.
Freshman Garrett Bartus (St. Charles, Ill.) played well in goal making 24 saves and allowing just two goals in almost 59 minutes between the pipes. Andrew Volkening was just slightly better in goal for the Falcons allowing just the one goal, also making 24 saves.
Air Force was the first team to get on the board when Eric Artman knocked in a shot that dribbled past Bartus putting the Falcons up 1-0 at 11:23 in the opening period.
The Huskies evened things up before the end of the first as sophomore Brad Cooper (Boca Raton, Fla.) netted his first goal on the year on a shorthanded opportunity with some assistance from senior captain Michael Coppola (Old Brookville, N.Y.) and junior assistant captain Andrew Olson (Alexandria, Minn.).
Olson started things off scooping up the puck at UConn's defensive third and sending a pass to Coppola. Coppola took the initial shot on goal which was saved by Air Force's goaltender Andrew Volkening but the rebound was scooped up by Cooper and blasted into the open left side of the net to even the score up at one-all heading into the first intermission. Coppola's assist was his second shorthanded point this season as he recorded UConn's other shorthanded goal against Canisius on Nov. 14.
Kirby's goal came at 17:14 in the third period putting the Falcons on top for good. He was aided by Jacques Lamoureux on a puck that just got by Bartus' right side.
The Huskies are back in action Saturday night when they finish out their weekend series with Air Force at 9:05 p.m. ET/7:05 p.m. MT.
