Aaron Volkening's grip on the goaltending position at Air Force seems to have weakened in the first two weeks of the season.

The Iron Horse sits – Air Force senior goalie Andrew Volkening played the entire 2008-09 season. A preseason All-America candidate, Volkening has started all four games this season but has been pulled twice in favor of sophomore Stephen Caple.

Volkening has absorbed all four losses thus far. His goals against is a un-Volkening-like 5.91 and his save percentage is a tick over 80 percent. Heading into the season his career numbers were 2.08 and .914.

Caple, from Rice Lake, Wisc., has looked impressive. He has stopped 16 of 17 shots in 57-plus minutes.

Before this season the last time Volkening had been pulled from a game was Dec. 29, 2007, against Boston College in the Dodge Holiday Classic in Minneapolis, when he gave up three goals in the opening 15-plus minutes. Ian Harper finished the contest.

Volkening played all the minutes over the final 22 games of that season and 41 games last season.

It’s March in October – RIT and Air Force are two solid contenders for the Atlantic Hockey title this season, and the clubs will open league play this weekend in Colorado Springs. The teams are 10-10-2 in 22 career meetings, and Air Force holds a slight 8-7-2 edge since the two schools joined Atlantic Hockey in 2005.

“We get right into conference play with a tough opponent in Air Force, so we must be sharp,’’ said RIT coach Wayne Wilson.

Home cooking – Canisius will play nine of its first 12 and 14 of its first 21 games at home this season. The Golden Griffins open a four-game homestand when Holy Cross visits for afternoon games on Saturday and Sunday. A decided scheduling advantage, though, may be muted somewhat because three-time league champ Air Force visits over Halloween weekend and Mercyhurst pops in for a Nov. 7 game.