MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The RMU men's hockey team is set for a rematch against Air Force in the Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) First Round. The single-elimination game will take place on Saturday, March 1, at 7:00 p.m. ET at Cadet Ice Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo. Fans can watch the action live on FloHockey.
 
REGULAR SEASON REVIEW
The Colonials enter the postseason as the No. 10 seed after finishing the regular season with a 10-19-5 overall record and a 7-15-4 mark in AHA play. In their final home series, RMU fell 4-2 to Air Force before battling to a 3-3 tie, with the Falcons securing the extra point in a 1-0 shootout victory. Freshman Michael Felsing led the Colonials offensively that weekend with two goals, while Michael Craig contributed two assists.
 
Sophomore Walter Zacher paced RMU this season with a team-high 15 goals and 24 points, ranking fourth in the AHA in goals scored. Captain Mitch Deelstra proved to be a power-play specialist, finishing the regular season with a conference-best nine goals on the man advantage. Showing strength on both sides of the ice, Tanner Klimpke and Cameron Garvey each recorded a +11 rating, tied for the fourth-best mark in the conference. Garvey also excelled in the faceoff circle, winning 641 draws, placing him among the top seven AHA centers. In net, Croix Kochendorfer posted a 2.93 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage, both ranking ninth in the league.
 
RMU's power play was a key strength this season, converting at a 22% rate, the third-best in the AHA. Defensively, the Colonials blocked a total of 497 shots, averaging 14.62 blocks per game, which also ranked third in the conference.
 
IRONMAN
Four Colonials—Zacher, Deelstra, Dominic Elliott, and Trent Wilson—played in all 34 games this season, demonstrating their durability and consistency.
 
ALL-TIME VS. AIR FORCE
RMU holds a 17-24-5 all-time record against Air Force, with an 8-13 mark in road matchups. The Colonials have averaged 2.37 goals per game across the 46-game series history.
 
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Air Force enters the postseason as the No. 7 seed after finishing the regular season with a 14-19-3 overall record and an 11-13-2 mark in AHA play. The Falcons' power play has operated at a 12.7% efficiency, while their penalty kill has maintained a 77.7% success rate. They have also been strong in the faceoff circle, winning 53.3% of their draws.
 
Senior forward Clayton Cosentino leads Air Force with 19 assists and 26 points, while defenseman Chris Hedden and forward Austin Schwartz each have a team-high 11 goals. Defensively, Hedden has been a key shot-blocker with 62 on the season. In net, senior goaltender Guy Blessing has started all but one game, earning 13 wins, three shutouts, and a .905 save percentage.
 
UP NEXT
With a victory at Air Force, RMU would advance to the AHA Quarterfinal Round, where they would either travel to No. 1 Holy Cross or No. 2 Sacred Heart, depending on other results. The quarterfinals will be a best-of-three series hosted by the higher seed from March 7-9.
 
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