Air Force Academy – Being the first military academy to play in the NCAA Tournament and opening against perennial national power Minnesota is not pressure, Air Force coach Frank Serratore said.
You want pressure?
Serratore gave it to his team last Saturday night in Rochester, N.Y., where the Falcons played Army for the Atlantic Hockey Association playoff championship and automatic bid to the 16-team national field.
“You had two coaching staffs that were saying, ‘This is going to either be the greatest night of our service academy sports careers, or the worst night,”‘ Serratore said. “That’s how big that game was.”
Air Force (19-15-5) thumped Army 6-1 in the historic game, and now faces the Golden Gophers (30-9-3), seeded No. 1 overall, Saturday to begin the West Regional at the Pepsi Center. Serratore scoffs at the pressure people think is on the Falcons.
“Pressure, the Gophers in the NCAA Tournament? That ain’t pressure around here,” Serratore said. “Playing Minnesota is great, and I’m getting all kinds of calls. But the generals are talking about the Army game. That’s the one the generals puff their chests about.”
On paper, the Gophers should have their way with Air Force. Minnesota has 14 NHL draft picks; the Falcons none.
Serratore doesn’t buy into that comparison.
“A Minnesota radio guy called me the other day and said, ‘You realize Minnesota has 14 players that were drafted?’ I said, ‘Wow, all our kids volunteered.’
“Whatever.”
Carle sympathizes
Air Force obtained the No. 4 seed at the West Regional because tournament-host DU came one or two spots short of snagging the final at-large bid. The Pioneers (21-15-4) dropped out of contention by going 1-6-2 in their final nine games.
Former DU star and San Jose Sharks rookie Matt Carle, who a year ago became the Pioneers’ first Hobey Baker Award winner, helped DU win the 2004 and 2005 NCAA titles, but was also on the team last year that did not make the tournament.
“I’m sure they’re trying to keep their heads above water; I know what kind of pain they’re feeling,” Carle said Sunday after the Sharks-Avalanche game.
Ticket update
Approximately 8,400 three- game ticket packages have been sold for the West Regional, a DU spokesman said. Single-game tickets went on sale Tuesday. They begin at $19 for each of Saturday’s semifinal games, and $24 for Sunday’s title game.
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and at the Pepsi Center ticket office.
Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
