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Colorado youth hockey grads Cosentino, Schwartz named co-captains of Air Force college hockey squad The NCAA Division I Air Force hockey team has named its captains for the 2024-25 season. Seniors Clayton Cosentino and Austin Schwartz will each wear a “C” this year for the Falcons. Cosentino and Schwartz have connections to Colorado as Cosentino skated for the Colorado Rampage during his youth hockey career and Schwartz played for the Arapahoe Warriors and Colorado Thunderbirds. A native of San Carlos, Calif., Cosentino was an alternate captain for the Falcons last season. A threetime academic all-conference selection, he has played in 110 career games and has 73 points on 23 goals and 50 assists. As a junior, he tied for second on the team in goals (10), third in assists (18) and fourth in points (28). Last season, he led the nation with 594 faceoff wins. Among all NCAA players who won more than 500 draws, Cosentino led the nation in winning percentage at .592. “Being selected a captain of the Air Force hockey team means the world to me,” said Cosentino. “Being in the presence of the excellent captains that have led teams in the past is an
Clayton Cosentino
Austin Schwartz
Photos/Trevor Co/Air Force Athletics
honor, and knowing that my teammates think of me in that way is a amazing feeling. With this feeling comes a duty to be the best leader I can be every day and not only lead but push everyone on the team to get closer and closer to becoming the team we set out to be at the beginning of the season, a championship team.” Schwartz, a Parker, Colo., native, was named the AHA Best Defensive Forward last season, just the third Falcon to ever win the award. Last season, he was also named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year and was the co-recipient of the Larry Cronk Award as the team’s most inspirational player. He played in all 38 games and was tied for second on the team with 10 goals and sixth on the team with 19 points. “It is such an honor and privilege to be in a leadership position,” Schwartz said. “Every guy in our locker room could be a captain, and each guy brings a different perspective on how we can win a championship. It’s a great experience to learn from each guy and help build a championship winning culture.”
OCTOBER 2024