ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Patrick Knowlton is proud to call Colorado Springs his hometown.
Knowlton, a Sacred Heart forward, broke the hearts of many Springs residents when he ripped a shot past Air Force goaltender Andrew Volkening with 41.9 seconds left Friday night, giving the Pioneers a 2-1 victory over the Falcons in the semifinals of the Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament.
The loss ended AFA’s season and also ended the Falcons’ three-season streak of trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Knowlton, a 2005 Cheyenne Mountain graduate, was told he might not be too popular in the Springs. He laughed.
“I never was,” he said. “I’m OK with that.”
Knowlton’s shot served as the conclusion to a dramatic third period. With 1:37 left and Air Force trailing 1-0, coach Frank Serratore pulled Volkening.
The results were virtually instantaneous. Eight seconds later, AFA’s Jacques Lamoureux scored on a rebound shot to tie the game. The Falcons were dancing and hugging and hoping.
The celebration didn’t last long.
As the clock ticked under 45 seconds, Sacred Heart’s Dave Jarman fooled Volkening. The AFA goaltender expected a shot, but instead Jarman passed to Knowlton, who was wide open at point-blank range.
“He knew I was there,” Knowlton said of Jarman. “And there I was with the open net. There was no doubt in my mind I was going to bury it.”
And he did bury it. Knowlton’s shot rose over Volkening’s shoulder as he raised his arms. It was Knowlton’s 13th goal of the season.
Later, Knowlton’s teammates teased him about how careful he had been before taking the shot.
“I looked at the puck for a little while,” Knowlton said. “How often do you see an empty net? I asked myself, ‘Is this happening?’ I had to take a second look.”
This thriller was in sharp contrast to the teams’ previous meetings. The Pioneers demolished Air Force at Sacred Heart in January, outscoring the Falcons 9-2 in two games.
Then the Falcons returned the favor Feb. 26-27 at AFA, outscoring the Pioneers 14-4 in two games.
Sacred Heart goaltender Steven Legatto delivered a solid, often spectacular game and almost shut out the Falcons. He robbed Scott Kozlak and Tim Kirby in the first period and again denied Kozlak with 2:40 left.
Volkening, a senior, was the last Falcon to depart the ice. As he skated away for the last time, coach Serratore pulled him close and said, “You were terrific.”
The Falcons’ problem Friday had little to do with Volkening, Serratore said.
“We died from the disease that plagued us the whole season,” he said. “The inability to score goals.”
Volkening’s finale.
Serratore offered an emotional tribute to senior goaltender Volkening.
“He’s the best player who’s ever worn the blue and silver,” Serratore said. “We’ve got some second-best guys, but they are distant.”
Hajner plays.
Falcons senior Jeff Hajner played after missing six games with a blood clot in his right calf.
“I appreciated the opportunity,” Hajner said. “It was fun to be out there again.”
