Air Force doubled up conference front-runner Richmond, 14-7, handing the 2018 Southern Conference champions their first loss in league action this season. The Falcons, who improved to 8-4 overall with a 4-1 mark in the conference, are now in a three-way tie with Richmond and High Point for the top-spot in the league. Air Force was the first to light the scoreboard as Matthew O'Rourk assisted junior attack man Matthew Schwartz with the rock atop the crease where he plugged it in low at the 13:32 mark. Over the course of five minutes, Richmond (7-5, 4-1 SoCon) rebutted with two straight goals to take their first and only lead of the game. Air Force went on to score seven unanswered goals in response. At the 4:35 mark Jake Thornally, a native of Colorado Springs, Colorado, fed Schwartz off the far end of the frame where Schwartz fired a rocket into the far corner of the top-shelf for his second goal. Just over a minute later, Schwartz recorded his hat trick goal with a dive over the crease via Gianni Orlando's assist, marking his second hat trick this season. In the waning seconds of the third period, senior co-team captain Cameron Carter scurried around Spider's cage where he was able to find an opening for a dish to Trey Lervick who received the ball mid-air then redirected it to the nylon before his feet hit the ground, lifting Air Force to a 4-2 lead at the end of the quarter. The Falcons continued their roll into the second quarter, adding four more goals while holding the Spiders scoreless. Daniel Pagano who picked up a ground ball in full stride, flicked the rock to Schwartz who connected on his fourth goal in a man-down situation at 11:53. The goal marked Schwartz's 17th of the season while Pagano was credited with his first career assist. Three minutes later, Schwartz provided an assist to Tim Baker from behind the frame which Baker fired off a skipping ripper from 10-yards straight out to lift Air Force to a 6-2 lead. The assists marked Schwartz's 12th of the season. Jack Flynn recorded the Falcons seventh goal with a dodging spin move and a shot to the upper-90. Thornally followed up with a put-back goal off of Baker's deflected shot, giving the Falcons an 8-2 going into the halftime locker room. Richmond opened the second half on a higher note, scoring two straight goals out of the break, cutting the Falcons' lead to four. Air Force responded with power and aggression, punching in four-straight goals in response. Thornally notched his second goal at the 8:40 mark as he danced around the defenders before finding an opening for a shot. Orlando followed up with his first goal of the game, fifth of the season, as he bullied his way through the one-on-one defense to take a diving shot for a goal to increase the Falcons' lead, 10-4. Carter went on a tear as he punched in two straight goals at 6:58 and 1:17, his third and fourth of the season to give Air Force a 12-4 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Falcons continued to push the pace in the fourth quarter as Thornally notched his first career hat-trick with a laser beam from 10-yards straight out via Flynn's feed at the 11:57 mark. Richmond responded with their fifth goal just 31-seconds later. The Falcons' final strike came off the face off as Trent Harper took the ground ball in stride where he found co-team captain Brandon Jones with howitzer in hand, Jones launched a net-snapper from 20-yards out, giving Air Force its 14th goal. Richmond was able to score two man-up goals before the clock expired, finalizing the contest at 14-7. The Falcons dominated the stat sheet, taking 45 shots to Richmond's 26, while picking up 43 ground balls to the Spiders' 16. Schwartz led the team with eight shots, seven of which were on goal. He also picked up a personal season-high five ground balls. Jones was a defensive nightmare yet again as the Upper Arlington, Ohio, native recorded a game-high three caused turnovers while picking up five ground balls. Harper had another successful day at the face off X, winning 18-of-23 (.783) attempts while picking up a game-high 10 ground balls. Harper has won the face-off battle in 10-of-12 contests this season. Sophomore keeper Braden Host was credited with his eighth win in Air Force's cage as he made six saves against 13 shots on frame. Next Saturday, Air Force travels to Lexington, Virginia, to take on VMI in the road-slate finale at 12 p.m. ET, March 20, at Alumni Memorial Field. The Falcons are 14-1 against the Keydets since the series began in 1992. Air Force will be playing to clinch a spot in the 2019 Southern Conference tournament.