RAMSEY: AFA better get used to getting gooned

Air Force rolls with the nation's elite college hockey teams.

The Falcons are ranked 10th in the nation, have suffered only one loss and rank as the undisputed glamour squad of the Atlantic Hockey Association.

Of course, none of this matters to RIT coach Wayne Wilson.

"I could care less," Wilson said a few minutes after Air Force struggled to a 2-0 win over RIT "My players could care less. We're worried about ourselves."

Nice answer, Wayne, but I don't believe one word of it.

There's a reason RIT skated into Cadet Ice Arena and offered a hustling, violent, impassioned performance.

AFA, because of its success, is now of the great targets in college hockey. Knock the Falcons down, and your team enjoys a giant rise in status.

The Falcons have been on a serious tear. In their last four wins, they mauled opponents, winning by a total of 24-4. They've been making opponents look helpless.

Let's just say RIT has trudged to a vastly different fate. The Tigers have won five of 15 games while surrendering four or more goals seven times.

On paper, Friday night's game had the look of an AFA blowout.,

In reality, the Tigers took the Falcons to the brink of defeat. Air Force was fortunate to escape with a win.

And that's not just me talking.

Air Force coach Frank Serratore admitted that RIT "probably deserved a better fate" after the Tigers won "the lion's share" of the "one-on-one battles."

Serratore constructed this team around players blessed with speed and skill. The Falcons dominate in fast, relatively friendly games. Just ask Colorado College about AFA's skill level. The Falcons trashed CC's Tigers last Friday.

But AHA games will be anything but friendly. AHA games will showcase hockey at its most primal. Finesse is out. Beastly is in.

Serratore was disappointed by the Falcons' reluctance to match RIT's rowdy, let's-find-somebody-to-hit style.

Give his AFA players credit. They are not oblivious to reality. They know AHA opponents will try the rough stuff. They know a lot of ugly hockey looms in their future.

In Friday's final minute, the Tigers' Brennan Sarazin delivered an impressive sucker elbow to the jaw of AFA's Brent Olson.

"Kind of high," Olson said in a flat voice, "but just part of the game, you know."

Oh, I know.

Hockey is often a game of speed and grace. On Friday, it resembled a wrestling match.

Here's a sneak preview of tonight's game:

Expect more of the same.

"We're going to play hard," RIT's Wilson said. "I don't know how they're going to play. If they want to back off, fine, but we're going to play hard."

I believe every word of that answer.

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Columnist David Ramsey can be reached at 476-4895 or david.ramsey@gazette.com. See David's blog at daveramseysez.freedomblogging.com