Air Force's Volkening Tabbed Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Week

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Atlantic Hockey Player of the Week

Greg Flynn - Air Force
Junior, Defenseman, Lino Lakes, Minn.

Allowed just one goal while making 26 saves on Friday in a 3-1 win...Allowed just one goal while making 22 saves on Saturday in 4-1 win...Led AFA to a sweep of the No. 14 team in the nation (Quinnipiac)...2-0 record on the season with a 1.00 GAA and a .959 saves percentage...18 of his 48 saves on the weekend came on the power play.

Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week

Andrew Olson - Connecticut
Freshman, Forward, Alexandria, Minn. 

Olson, who was playing in his first two collegiate contests, netted four goals to lead the Huskies to a 1-1-0 mark over the weekend. He netted a pair in a 4-2 win over American International to open Atlantic Hockey action. Olson tied the score at 1-1, then added the game winner later in the second frame. In Saturday's contest versus Massachusetts opened the scoring in teh first period and then cut the Minuteman lead to 4-3 with his second of the contest.


Weekly Honor Roll

Joe Calvi, Bentley (Fr. G, New Lenox, Ill.) - Calvi posted a 2.51 goals against average and .906 save percentage in his first two collegiate outings at #14 Quinnipiac and Western Michigan.

Marc Menzione, Bentley (So., F, Darien, Ill.) - Menzione scored a goal and added an assist in two-game series at Western Michigan.

Vincent Scarsella, Canisius (Fr., F, Lackawanna, N.Y.) - Scarsella led the Griffs offense throughout the weekend at the Mutual of Omaha Stampede. Scarsella recorded four points on three goals and one assist during the two-game tournament and for his efforts, the rookie was named to the All-Tournament Team. In the tournament's opening round, Scarsella posted two goals and an assist. He tied the game with 3:03 remaining in the game before Alabama-Huntsville scored with 3.5 seconds left to earn the victory.

Beau Erickson, Connecticut (So., G, Hinton, Iowa) - He made 66 saves on 72 shots over the weekend. Picked up is first win of the season. a 4-2 Huskies decision, with a 33-save performance against American International to open Atlantic Hockey league play. Added his second straight 33-save effort in a 4-3 loss to Massachusetts.

Ian Dams, Holy Cross (So. G, Manotick, ONT) - Dams stopped 31 of 35 shots in Holy Cross' 6-4 win at Providence. He is now 1-0-0 on the season. Dams came up big in the third period as he made 12 saves to keep the Friars off the scoreboard as the Crusaders scored two goals in the third period to break a 4-4 tie for the 6-4 final score.

Ryan Driscoll, Holy Cross (So, F, Dorchester, Mass.) - Driscoll scored two goals in Holy Cross' 6-4 victory at Providence. He netted the first two goals of the game to give the Crusaders a 2-0 lead in the first period. Driscoll scored his first at 4:22 into the game and then recorded his second just 32 seconds later. Both goals were on the power play as his first goal was on a two-man advantage. He is currently tied for the team-lead in goals with two, while his 1.00 goals per game are tied for fourth in the nation.

Mark Znutas, Holy Cross (Fr, D, Emerson, N.J.) - Znutas recorded two assists in Holy Cross' 6-4 victory at Providence, including one on Dale Reinhardt's game-winner at 2:52 into the third period to break a 4-4 tie as Reinhardt scored off a pass from Znutas. He also assisted on an empty-net goal with one second left in the third period. Znutas is currently tied for the team lead in points with three as he also has one goal on the season. His 1.50 points per game by a defenseman are tied for second in the nation and are tied for fourth in the country by rookies.

Ben Cottreau, Mercyhurst (Sr, F, Toronto, ONT) - Had 2 of the 3 Mercyhurst goals and an assist in twin losses at #17 Maine.

Scott Pitt, Mercyhurst (Fr, F, Ottawa, ONT) - Scored his first collegiate goal in Friday's 4-2 loss at #17 Maine.

Ryan Zapolski, Mercyhurst (Fr, G, Erie, Pa.) - Zapolski stopped a combined 79 of 87 shots against #17 Maine.

Al Mazur, R.I.T. (So, F, Burnaby, BC) - Mazur had a goal and an assist in a 5-3 loss to Bowling Green. His goal at 15:47 of the second tied the score at 3-3 after RIT fell behind 3-1. He also added an assist. Stefan Drew, Sacred Heart (Jr, G, Oakbank, MAN) -

Drew made 28 saves in net Saturday night before allowing a goal in overtime to RPI. The performance included stopping 10 shots in the second period.


Team Notes
 

Air Force: AFA earned its first ever sweep of a ranked team with the two wins over Quinnipiac...Frank Serratore earned his 150th win at the Academy and his 200th career victory over the weekend...AFA opens the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2000-01 season (AFA was 3-0 that year)...Mike Phillipich tied his career-high with two goals in Friday's win...Eric Ehn had one assist in each game...Freshmen Derrick Burnett, Owen Kelly and Scott Kozlak had the first points of their careers with assists vs. the Bobcats...Freshmen Sean Bertsch, Blake Page, Brad Sellers and Kevin Wright played the first games of their careers...AFA plays at Bentley this week...AFA is 8-4-1 all-time vs. Bentley and 1-1 in games played at Bentley...Last season, the two teams split the four games with each team winning once at home and once on the road...Dating back to last season, AFA has won eight of its last nine games with the only loss coming to Minnesota in the NCAA West Regional.

American International: AIC gets to take another break at the start of the season. The Yellow Jackets will be the only Atlantic Hockey member not to play on the upcoming weekend. AIC will next play on Tuesday, October 30, as the Yellow Jackets travel to Hamden, Conn. to take on Quinnipiac in non-conference match-up.

Army: Army scored its first power play goal of the season in its only game this weekend. Luke Flicek netted a goal in the second period against RPI to tie the game at one off a double assist from Bryce Hollweg and Robb Ross. It was the first point of the season for all three. RPI scored once in the second period and once in the third period for a 3-1 win to spoil Army's home opener at Tate Rink. The Black Knights fell to 0-3-0 on the season despite 40 shots on goal. Army opens conference play this Saturday with a single game at Connecticut and then travels to Holy Cross for a pair of games in Worcester, Mass.

Bentley: Bentley lost a trio of non-conference away games this week, falling to #14 Quinnipiac on Tuesday and Western Michigan on Friday and Saturday ... Freshman goaltender Joe Calvi opened his collegiate career with a 2.51 goals against average and .906 save percentage in his first two collegiate games at #14 Quinnipiac and Western Michigan ... Freshman Dustin Cloutier and redshirt freshman Justin Kemmerer tallied their first career points with an assist each at Western Michigan ... Senior Jaye Judd played in his 100th career game for the Falcons on Friday at Western Michigan and scored his first goal of the season ... The Falcons have been whistled for exactly eight penalty minutes in each of their first four games this season to rank 51st in the nation (of the 53 teams that have played a game thus far), a stark contrast from last season when the team averaged 22.6 penalty minutes to rank third in the nation ... This weekend, Bentley opens its home schedule and Atlantic Hockey slate, hosting defending conference champions Air Force ... Bentley was 2-2 in the Battle of the Falcons last season, spliting series with Air Force both at home and on the road.

Canisius: The Griffs split a pair of games en route to a third-place finish at the Mutual of Omaha Stampede. Canisius fell to Alabama-Huntsville, 4-3, on Friday before defeating the University of Manitoba, 3-2, on Saturday. Freshman Vincent Scarsella posted four points on three goals and one assist and was named to the all-tournament team. Scarsella's points were the first of his collegiate career. He currently ranks eighth in the country among freshman with .75 goals per game. Sophomores Josh Heidinger and Carl Hudson also contributed to the Canisius offense during the weekend, extending their point streaks to three games. Hudson is currently averaging 1.33 points per game, the eighth-highest total in the country. The youth of the 2007-08 Griffs have stepped and contributed a great deal to the team's success. The freshman and sophomore class have accounted for 77.8 percent (7-of-9) of the team's goals and 73.9 percent (17-of-23) of the team's points. Canisius opens conference action this weekend, traveling to Milford, Conn. for a pair of games against Sacred Heart.

Connecticut: The season opening win for Huskies was their first since the 1998-99 season and a 6-3 win over Iona. They had been 0-6-2 in their previous eight opening games. Good start for Andrew Olson with four goals. The Huskies rookie record for goals in a season at the Division I level is 13 set by Chris Myhro in 2005-06. The all-time freshman record is 22 by Dave L'Ecuyer in 1978-79. The last four times UConn has won their home opener, it has been over AIC, the last being a 7-4 win in 2003-04. It was a strong start for sophomore Chris Ochoa with three assists, he had only eight last season. Similar to Olson looking like he could challenge for the freshman record in goals, Justin Hernandez might do the same for assists. He already has three in first two games. The Husky Division I record was set by Even Stensrud with 18 in 1999-00. The overall freshman record is 25 by John Guagliardo in 1987-88.

Holy Cross: With the 6-4 win at Providence, the Crusaders have now won three out of their last four games against teams from Hockey East. Last season, the Crusaders fell to Northeastern, 7-2, on December 30, while they defeated Merrimack, 2-1, on October 24. Two seasons ago the Crusaders earned a 3-2 win at UMass-Amherst on October 21, 2005. Saturday night's win marked the first Holy Cross win over Providence. The Crusaders are now 1-2 all-time against the Friars since Holy Cross became a varsity program in the 1966-67 season. Holy Cross' 38.5 power play percentage is tied for first in the country. The Crusaders' 4.00 goals per game are tied for fourth in the nation. Sophomore Peter Lorinser recorded his first two collegiate goals in the 6-4 win at Providence. He gave the Crusaders a 4-3 lead in the second period and added an empty net goal with one second left in the third. Lorinser is tied for the team-lead in goals with two, while his 1.00 goals per game are tied for fourth in the nation. Freshman Everett Sheen earned his first collegiate point with an assist against Providence. Freshman defenseman Mark Znutas, who had two assists against Providence, is currently tied for the team lead in points with three as he also has one goal on the season. His 1.50 points per game by a defenseman are tied for second in the nation and are tied for fourth in the country by rookies. Sophomore Ryan Driscoll scored two goals against Providence and is currently tied for the team-lead in goals with two, while his 1.00 goals per game are tied for fourth in the nation.

Mercyhurst: Mercyhurst has scored only four goals, but has been competitive in all four contests against nationally-ranked teams... two of the four goals have come on the power play...freshman forward Scott Pitt notched his first collegiate goal Friday...the Lakers are now 0-4-1 lifetime against Maine; the last time they played a pair of games at Orono (November 2002), they were outscored 12-0...freshman goalie Ryan Zapolski has started the last three games; he made 79 saves against the Black Bears...the Lakers have been outscored 8-2 in the middle period...Mercyhurst plays its first regular season games at the Ice Center next weekend when Atlantic Hockey rival Holy Cross visits for a 7:35 game Friday and a 7:05 contest Saturday. The Lakers lead the all-time series 16-8-3, including a 2-1-1 mark last season....It doesn't get any easier following Holy Cross - Mercyhurst returns to the road for three successive weekends: at defending conference champs, Air Force, November 2 and 3; at 2007 national champs, Michigan State, for first-ever meetings on November 9 and 10; and at defending AH regular season champs, RIT, November 16 and 17.

Rochester Institute of Technology: RIT has been behind in each of their first two games this season but have rallied in each game to tie or take the lead. RIT scored three goals in the second period versus Bowling Green, tying the score on a power play goal by Al Mazur. Matt Crowell and Ricky Walton also tallied goals in the second period. Crowell has scored a goal in each of the first two games this season. The Tigers went 2-for-8 with the power play on Saturday. The Tigers are 4-for-13 with the man advantage this season. Bowling Green out shot RIT 37-32 on Saturday. RIT has allowed four power play goals in 13 chances this season, including two on Saturday. The Tigers have allowed two 5-on-3 goals this season, including one last weekend versus the Falcons. The Tigers play Cornell University this Saturday. The game will be played at Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester. Its the first game for the Tigers at BCA since the mid to late 80's. The Tigers are trying to avoid a three-game losing streak. RIT did not lose three straight games at all last season en route to the AHA regular season title.

Sacred Heart: The Pioneers fell to RPI 1-0 in overtime Saturday night. The loss snapped a two game winning streak for SHU over RPI. It was the first time the Pioneers have been shutout since January 12, 2007 against RIT. Junior Stefan Drew made 28 saves in goal before giving up the game winner. SHU is 0-2 for the first time since 2003-04 when they lost their first seven games. The Pioneers open their Atlantic Hockey schedule and home season this weekend against Canisius Friday and Saturday night in Milford. The Pioneers won three of four games from the Golden Griffs last season. Friday night's game can be heard on WICC 600 AM.