Box Score

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.- The American International College men's ice hockey team dropped a 5-3 decision at the U.S. Air Force Academy Friday night in an Atlantic Hockey contest. Freshman #Richard Leitner# (Los Alamistos, Calif. ) had one goal and one assist for the Yellow Jackets. With the loss the Yellow Jackets fall to 2-11-1 overall this season and to 2-9-1 in Atlantic Hockey play, while the win improves the Falcons to 7-5-3 thus far and to 7-1-3 in the conference.

Air Force got on the board first when sophomore forward Paul Weisgarber (Fargo, N.D.) found the back of the net with less than two-minutes remaining in the first period. The lead would not last long as Leitner tied the score at 1-1 for AIC when he tallied a goal with four-second remaining in the period. Freshman #Jeff Ceccacci# (Placentia, Calif.) and sophomore #Luciano Primiani# (Montreal, Que.) dished out the assists on the goal.

Four-minutes into the second period, the Falcons went back on top when freshman John Kruse (Eden Prairie, Minn.) lit the lamp for the 2-1 lead. The Yellow Jackets again fought back, tying the score at 2-2 with less than a minute remaining in the period. Junior #Steve McLeod# (Atikokan, Ont.) netted the tying goal with an assist from classmate #Mike Little# (Enfield, Conn.).

In the third period, Air Force took a commanding lead, finding the back of the net three consecutive times in the first eight minutes going on top 5-2. Freshman #Michael Penny# (Calgary, Alb.) scored his first goal of the season in an attempt to spark the comeback for AIC, but his effort was too late, as the Falcons took the 5-3 victory.

Junior #Dan Ramirez# (Rochester, N.Y.) made 24 saves for the Yellow Jackets before being replaced by freshman #Ben Meisner# (Halifax, N.S.), who stopped five shots of his own. Senior Andrew Volkening (Genoa, Ill.) made 31 stops in the win for the Falcons.

AIC and Air Force both finished with 34 shots.

Next up, the Yellow Jackets finish the series with the Falcons tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m.