BRIDGEPORT – The fourth-seeded Air Force Falcons upset top-seeded Michigan in a 2-0 victory this afternoon in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament East Regional at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
A combination of good execution on a pair of high-quality scoring chances and stellar play from goaltender Andrew Volkening gave Air Force the surprising victory despite being outshot 43-13 by the Wolveirnes.
Right winger Derrick Burnett scored on a perfectly placed wrist shot from a tight angle at 15:18 on the power play to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead. It was just the Falcons’ third short on target of the game, while Michigan’s shot total was already in the double digits.
Center Jacques Lamoureux, one of the East Regionals tournament’s three Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalists, doubled his team’s lead at 7:02 on the power play off a great feed from left winger Matt Fairchild.
The junior forward bounced the puck off the boards and managed to sneak past a Michigan defender, before finding Lamoureaux in front of the net with a crossing feed. Lamoureaux hesitated for a slight second as Michigan goalie Bryan Hogan shifted over to cover the empty the net, ultimately sliding the puck into the lower-right corner of the net.
Michigan had a variety of opportunities to get back in the game — and hit the pipes once — but the day ultimately belonged to Volkening and the Falcons, who on Saturday will play the winner of Yale and Vermont’s 6:30 p.m. contest.