Air Force goalie earns praise in hockey exhibition

In 10 seasons as Air Force hockey coach, Frank Serratore, once a goaltender himself, never has had a reliable starter in net.

That could change in his 11th season — if sophomore Andrew Volkening’s 20-save performance Monday in a 4-1 exhibition win over the University of Calgary at Cadet Ice Arena is any indication.

“I don’t think I could have asked him to look more stable or solid,” Serratore said. “I thought he looked poised and confident and calm in the net. Based on the little bit we saw, that’s what we want.”

The Falcons got two goals and an assist from Eric Ehn, a Hobey Baker top-three finalist last season. Ehn was without his main set-up man, captain Mike Phillipich, who is out because of a shoulder injury.

Woodland Park native Sean Bertsch opened the scoring midway through the first period with a snipe from the left circle in his first outing after spending last year at the academy prep school, which does not have a hockey team.

“I’ve been off for a year with no competition except for maybe some men’s league hockey when I could get off,” said Bertsch, a 22-year-old freshman whose father, Mike, coached and played for Colorado College. “I can tell I’m still a step behind. It’s going to take a little bit of time.”

After plenty of missed second chances by the Falcons, freshman Derrick Burnett caught an Ehn rebound and converted a diving slap shot to put Air Force ahead 2-0 at 11:43 of the second period.

Just 3:20 into the third, Ehn caught a long pass from defenseman Greg Flynn on his forehand, flipped the puck to his backhand and tucked it inside the right post.

Two minutes later, on Air Force’s second 5-on-3 advantage of the game, Ehn ripped a shot from the point for a 4-0 lead.

Volkening kept Calgary off the board until midway through the third, when Ryan Annesley got a tip-in goal.

“I have a lot more confidence after playing in big games last season,” said Volkening, who backstopped the Falcons to their first conference championship in school history and in the NCAA West Regional loss to Minnesota.

Air Force’s penalty kill, which ended last season 54th out of 59 teams (79.5 percent), limited Calgary to six shots on three power plays.

Notes

Ehn and defensemen Frank Schiavone and Matt Charbonneau, all seniors, were named alternate captains. ... Referees were using the two-referee, one-linesman officiating system that will become the standard starting with the 2008-09 season.