With 12 games remaining in the 2023-2024 campaign, Air Force hockey has taken a step forward from a 10th-place finish last season, and sophomore defenseman Chris Hedden is pacing the Falcons’ resurgence.

The Falcons are 9-5 (11-12-1 overall) with four overtime wins and sit in fifth place in Atlantic Hockey. Through 14 conference games last season, the Falcons were 3-10-1 (7-15-2 overall).

“We got our goalie back,” Air Force head coach Frank Serratore said of the changes since last season.

Goaltender Guy Blessing held a 6-8-1 record with a 3.23 goals against average, .889 save percentage and a shutout before a December injury cut his sophomore year short.

The Falcons rode a combination of three other netminders without Blessing, who combined for a 6-14-1 record, 3.80 GAA and .867 SV%.

“Goaltending is 50% of the game unless, of course, it’s bad goaltending, then its 100% of the game,” Serratore said. “Having Blessing back is giving us good goaltending.”

That goaltending has steadied the Falcons to stave off any conference sweeps this season, and they’ve taken at least two points in every conference series. It has also lifted the them to 14th nationally in penalty kill percentage and brought in defensive confidence to a 14th place shots-against per game in the NCAA.

The return of Blessing and their overall maturation have played a key role in the turnaround for Air Force this season, and they’re tracking toward several milestones for Serratore.

In his 27th season, Serratore sits two wins shy of 500 in his career with a 498-521-108 record. He also is one win shy of 450 with Air Force, where he is 449-429-99 since joining the Falcons in 1997.

Like his team’s improved goaltending, Serratore likes to deflect – he gives much credit to his coaching staff, players, alumni and school.

“It means I’ve been around a long time,” Serratore said. “Obviously, if you’re around long enough, the numbers just happen. But in that entire journey, I never scored one goal, and I never made one save.”

But with seven Atlantic Hockey Championships, seven bids to the national tournament and three wins on the national stage with Air Force, Serratore’s milestones are more than just an attribute to his NCAA career.

At the moment, his milestone wins are being led by Chris Hedden. The sophomore leads the Falcons with 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) in 24 games.

The Air Force power play sits 33rd in the NCAA, and the Kalamazoo, Michigan’s five power-play goals rank 20th.

With 11 power-play points and two short-handed points (one goal, one assists), the 21-year-oldhas become a game-changer in all facets of the game.

“[Assistant coach] Joe Doyle has been working with him real closely over the last couple years and really helping his defensive game,” Serratore said. “He’s still not a finished product, but we’re excited about him.”

Hedden finished his 2022-2023 freshman season with three goals and eight assists in 35 games. That included two power-play goals.

This year, Hedden is fifth nationally for goals by defensemen, among the ranks of NHL prospects and national-championship favorites.

Not only has Hedden’s breakout been offensively heavy, he is proving to be a driving factor with 21 of his 24 points coming as primary points.

Chris Hedden named AHA Defensive Player of the Weekhttps://t.co/yuEDs8UpcA

— Air Force Hockey (@AF_HKY) January 15, 2024

“He’s a young Ray Bourque for us; the offensive side is evident, and defensively, he’s had to learn play within our systems and group of five play,” Serratore said. “But he’s getting better and better and improving more and more each week.”

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