Colorado Springs Announces Hockey Faceoff Event in October

The city's acclaimed pair of NCAA Division I ice hockey coaches will tell area fans about their teams and prospects for the upcoming 2019-2020 season at the Sports Corp's annual Hockey Faceoff Luncheon on October 1 at the Marriott Colorado Springs hotel.

The Head Coaches

Frank Serratoreenters his 23rd season at Air Force with a 395-350-86 record at the Academy. He has an overall mark of 444-442-95 in 26 seasons as a college head coach. He is one of just 21 coaches in the history of NCAA hockey with 400 or more wins at a Division I institution, and one of just five active coaches. 

Not only has Serratore turned the Falcon program around, he has turned it into a legitimate national contender, with seven conference championships and seven NCAA appearances in the last 12 years. Over the last 10 years, Air Force has beaten a team ranked in the top five in the nation nine times. 

Last season, Serratore led the Falcons to a 16-15-5 overall record and a third-place finish in Atlantic Hockey.  Serratore coached Kyle Haak, a 2019 USAFA grad, who won the 2019 Senior CLASS Award and was a three-time academic All-America. 

Air Force finished with a 23-15-5 overall record and a 13-11-4 record in Atlantic Hockey. The Falcons won their second consecutive Atlantic Hockey championship and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the second straight year. Air Force tied for third in the league and was the fifth seed in the AHC playoffs. After a bye week, the Falcons traveled to West Point for a quarterfinal series with fourth-seeded Army. It took three games, but Tyler Ledford's goal in overtime lifted the Falcons to a 1-0 win and a berth in the AHC Final Four. Wins over Canisius and Robert Morris gave the Falcons their seventh AHC tournament title in the last 12 years. At the NCAA West Regional, Air Force defeated No. 1 St. Cloud State (4-1) before falling to No. 11 Minnesota Duluth (2-1) in the Elite Eight.

(Air Force opens its season on Sunday, October 6 with an exhibition game against Trinity Western University at 5:05 p.m. at The Cadet Ice Arena)

Mike Haviland led the Tigers to new heights in 2018-19, posting 17 victories, the most in one season since the '12-13 campaign (18). CC also won the Pikes Peak Trophy for the first time with a 6-1 victory over Air Force, reclaimed The Gold Pan with a 2-1-1 regular season record against in-state rival Denver, and advanced to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff for the first time in the six-year existence of the league.

The Tigers swept Denver in a home-and-home series to capture The Gold Pan and close out the regular season with a sixth-place finish in the final NCHC standings. Colorado College upset third-seeded Western Michigan in three games

to win its first NCHC quarterfinal series to advance to the league's Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul, Minn.

In 2017-18, sophomore Nick Halloran became Haviland's first All-America selection and also was a first-team All-NCHC pick. Halloran finished third in the NCHC in scoring with 45 points, the most by a Tiger in five seasons.
 
Haviland led the Tigers to a 2-2-1 record against defending national champion Denver at Magness Arena in '17-18, including a couple of shutouts, the first time ever the Pioneers were shutout twice in the same season at home by one team. 

(CC opens its season on Saturday, October 5 with an exhibition game against Trinity Western University at 6:00 P.M. at The Broadmoor World Arena)

Date
Tuesday, October 1

Time
12:00 - 1:15 pm

Venue
Colorado Springs Marriott
5580 Tech Center Dr.
Colorado Springs, CO 80919

Cost
$300 / Table for 10 (Sports Corp Members or Booster Club Members)
$350 / Table for 10 (Non-Members)
$30 / Individual (Sports Corp Member or Booster Club Members)
$35 / Individual (Non-Members)

Schedule of Events
11:30 am - Doors Open
12:00 pm - Program Begins
1:15 pm - Conclusion of Event

For Reservations, contact Molly Sharples, Event Coordinator

719- 634-7333, ext. 1013 or rsvp@thesportscorp.org