COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Brock Edwards and Dan Kolenda finished with two points apiece as the Purple Eagles fell in the weekend opener 4-3 to the Air Force Falcons at the Cadet Ice Arena.
 
The teams traded goals throughout the first 47 minutes as the Purple Eagles (3-14-2; 3-10-2 AHA) took the lead on three separate occasions, but the Falcons (6-13-3; 5-6-2 AHA) came back and tied it each time.
 
"It was a very spirited and intense game from both sides," head coach Dave Burkholder said. "I'm very pleased with the Brock Edwards line. It's very nice to see Brock getting his feet under him and getting back up to pace. He hasn't played a lot and he was one of our best forwards tonight."
 
Albin Karlsson got things started late in the first when he converted on a two-on-one from a pass from Edwards. Kolenda, who earned the secondary assist on the play, knocked the puck loose with a check at the red line. The junior was able to collect the puck and fed a pass Edwards who started the rush up ice. He waited for the lone defender to go down and saucered a pass to Karlsson who was crashing the far side post.
 
The Falcons were able to tie the game early in the second until Edwards collected his second point of the night and gave his team the 2-1 lead less than three minutes later. NU worked the puck around the zone until it came to Kevin Patterson, a native of Colorado Springs, who took a slap shot from the top of right face-off circle. The rebound found its way to a wide open Edwards who put it home with authority at the 10:32 mark. Phillip Nasca earned the other assist on the play.
 
The game headed into the intermission with a 2-2 tie after Air Force was able to tie the game again with over four minutes to go in the period.
 
A strong penalty kill led to the go ahead goal early in the third period. After Niagara turned in a textbook penalty kill on a five-minute major, Isaac Kohls and Kolenda went in a two-on-one crush. Kohls' pass was tipped, but the senior was able to recover the loose puck to keep the play alive. He found Kolenda to the right of the goal, he made a move to get around the back-checker and pull the goalie out of the net. His backhand was saved by a desperation pad save, but Kohls found the rebound and hit the open net to put the Purple and White up 3-2.
 
The third-period lead lasted 80 seconds as the Falcon power-play was finally able to break through on its fifth attempt of the night to tie the game at 3-3. It broke through again with another tally on the man-advantage with 3:40 on the clock to give the Falcons a late 4-3 lead. Niagara, which had been playing the entire third period with just four defensemen, was unable to convert a power-play chance of its own and the game went down in the books as a 4-3 final.
 
"We didn't get a big save and they chip in a power-play goal," said Burkholder. "We had our chance on a power-play in the game and didn't score. Thye did on theirs so their top guys won the game for them."
 
Kolenda's two points give the junior six in the last three games and nine on the season. He is now in a three-way tie for the team lead with Kohls nad Hugo Turcotte. Patterson led players on both teams with a +3 and Stephen Pietrobon had a game-high five blocks. Jackson Teichroeb started in goal and made 30 saves.
 
These teams will finish the first of two weekend series this season with tomorrow's matchup at 9:00 p.m.