RAMSEY: Unlikely match producing heavenly results

In one of those believe-it-or-not moments, Air Force's hockey team flies around with the nation's elite.

The unbeaten, 12th-ranked Falcons look capable of dropping either Colorado College or the University of Denver next weekend.

If the Falcons' climb to power doesn't fill you with happy shock, it should. This is one of those logic-defying moments that make sports fun.

Frank Serratore, architect of this unlikely revival, was munching on pepperoni pizza Tuesday afternoon while considering the state of AFA hockey.

He could take the cool, confident approach and say he saw this coming, but he declines to kid anyone.

"To be honest with you, this has exceeded my expectations" Serratore said between bites.

"I knew we could be competitive, but to be where we're at right now?"

Serratore's face was full of amazement. He's watched every minute of the Falcons' slow march from weak to strong, but struggles to believe his program has traveled so far.

"Who would have ever predicted this?" he asked, shaking his head.

And the good times should remain.

Last week, Serratore signed a five-year contract extension.

The union between AFA and Serratore is an unlikely one.

In April 1997, when the Falcons began courting Serratore, he could not picture himself as a service academy coach.

Serratore walks through his life full of kick-up-his-heels glee, and he saw AFA as a center of frowning, restricted souls.

Even after agreeing to visit AFA for an interview, he remained apprehensive.

"I expected to see a bunch of grim-faced kids, goose-stepping around and, you know, saluting each other," Serratore said. "I expected it to be very militaristic, very formal and structured and, you know, militaristic."

Then he met Hans Mueh, who led the search committee for a new coach. The men instantly clicked. He met the hockey players, and they were, in Serratore's words, "regular kids."

The atmosphere wasn't grim. Serratore enjoyed the AFA vibe and wanted to be part of it.

He faced an unlikely resurrection project.

The Falcons had won a total of 12 games in the previous two seasons, and government restrictions prevented him from recruiting Canadians.

This was - and is - a massive obstacle to success. Sacred Heart, AFA's opponent this weekend, boasts 10 Canadians.

In 1997, the NCAA Tournament looked far away, a ridiculous dream.

"I don't know many people who would be willing to take on that task," Denver coach George Gwozdecky said. "And I don't think anyone expected they would compete on a national basis.

"It's one of the great, great stories in hockey."

Yet the climb isn't complete.

The Falcons earned trips to the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons. They performed nobly but lost to Minnesota and Miami of Ohio.

The Falcons have not beaten CC in 30 games, a sad streak that winds all the way back to 1985, when Ronald Reagan resided in the White House.

Across town, CC coach Scott Owens has enjoyed watching Serratore push the Falcons to unlikely heights.

"Frank's created such a great environment to get better and have fun and expect to win every night," said Owens, who considers Serratore a good friend.

But the view, Owens admits, is getting a little uncomfortable.

"Been looking at them for a month, to be honest with you," said Owens, who brings his Tigers to Cadet Ice Arena on Nov. 28. "I'd be lying if I didn't say I had half an eye on this thing. It's going to be an interesting night."

It will be. But any game involving these hockey Falcons is interesting.

A little more than a decade ago, Serratore went with his gut and embarked on an unlikely quest.

He sought to build a hockey power in one of the most unlikely places in America.

Give him his moment. That's exactly what he's done.

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Columnist David Ramsey can be reached at 476-4895 or david.ramsey@gazette.com. For more on Frank Serratore, check out David's blog at http://daveramseysez.freedomblogging.com.