SETTING THE SCENE: Tonight's game is an AHA first round playoff match-up between the visiting American International College Yellow Jackets and the host Crusaders of Holy Cross.

ABOUT AIC: The Yellow Jackets finished the regular season with a record of
5-27-2 this season and 5-22-1 in Atlantic Hockey play after going 0-1-1 in last weekend's regular season finale with Army. In the first game, AIC tallied two late goals to pull off a 3-3 overtime tie in West Point, N.Y. and then lost their final regular season home game 3-1. Freshman Michael Penny gave the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead to open the series as he scored an unassisted goal just after the team killed off a Black Knights five-on-three power-play opportunity. Army tied the score at 1-1 to end the first period when freshman Mike Hull tallied a goal off of a penalty shot. The Black Knights took a 2-1 lead when freshman Mark Dube found the back of the net at 15:29 of the second period with assists from senior Mark Tilch and sophomore Pat Copeland. Senior Bill Leahy extended the Army lead to 3-1in the third period when he netted his first goal of the season with assists from Dube and sophomore Drew Pierson. But AIC did not go down without a fight as senior Chad Richardson lit the lamp with less than eight minutes remaining in the game with assists from classmate David Turco and junior Mike McMillan. Just 49-seconds later, Richardson sent the game into overtime when he scored a power-play goal for his second of the game with assists from Turco and junior Frankie DeAngelis. Senior Tom Fenton had a stellar night between the pipes for the Yellow Jackets stopping 47shots on the night. In the back end of the home-and-home, AIC held its final home game of the regular season and the final game for six seniors, Fenton, Richardson, Turco, Denis Budai, Keith Rodger, and Matt Woodard. The Black Knights tallied two early power-play goals taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Junior Erik Sefchik netted Army's third goal of the game with two-seconds left in the second period making the game 3-0. Penny scored the Yellow Jackets lone goal of the night with assists from DeAngelis and junior Chris Campanale. Fenton, again, had a good night in net for AIC as he made 32 saves.

WEEKLY HONORS: Fenton, Richardson, and Penny were all named to the AHA honor roll for their individual performances in last weekend's home-and-home series with Army. Fenton had a strong weekend between the pipes for the Yellow Jackets stopping 79 of 85 shots. He made 47 saves in the series opener in West Point, and stopped 32 shots on his senior night in the back end of the series. Richardson netted two goals in AIC's 3-3 tie with Army on Friday night. With just over seven-minutes remaining in the game, he cut the Black Knights lead to 3-2 when he found the back of the net and then 49-seconds later he sent the game into overtime when he lit the lamp for the second time on the night. Penny tallied two goals in the Yellow Jackets weekend series with Army. He gave AIC a 1-0 lead when he netted an unassisted goal just after the Yellow Jackets killed of an Army five-on-three power-play opportunity, in the first game of the series. Penny scored AIC's lone goal in the team's final regular season game on Saturday night.

ABOUT HOLY CROSS: The Crusaders enter tonight's first round match-up with a record of 11-18-5 this season and are 10-15-3 in the conference after going 1-1-0 in last weekend's regular season finale with Sacred Heart. Holy Cross won the first game 5-2 and lost the back end of the home-and-home 4-3 in overtime. Junior Dave Jarman gave the Pioneers an early 1-0 lead in the series opener when he found the back of the net at 7:19 of the first period. Freshman Luke Miller quickly tied the score for the Crusaders when he netted a goal just 5:30 later. Holy Cross took their first lead of the game when junior Brodie Sheahan tallied a goal with 1:02 remaining in the opening period. Sophomore Jordan Cyr gave the Crusaders a little breathing room when he extended their lead to 3-1, scoring just 2:13 into the second period. Sacred Heart attempted to pull off a comeback when freshman Matt Gingera lit the lamp 3:33 later but it was not enough as Miller and freshman Jay Silvia each tallied a goal later in the second period to propel Holy Cross to a 5-2 victory. Junior Ian Dams made 30 saves in the win for the Crusaders. Senior Eric Giosa kicked off the scoring in the back end of the home-and-home series when he scored a power-play goal to give the Pioneers an early first period lead. Sacred Heart took a 2-0 advantage when junior Mike Rosata found the back of the net just 3:55 later. Cyr cut the Pioneer lead to 2-1 when he lit the lamp on the power-play and then Miller evened the score at 2-2 before the first period ended when he tallied a power-play goal with 31-seconds remaining. After a scoreless second period senior Bear Trapp gave Sacred Heart their lead back when he netted a power-play goal midway through the third period. Just 22-seconds later Miller scored his second goal of the game, his fourth of the weekend, to tie the game at 3-3 for Holy Cross. In overtime, Giosa found the back of the net with 21-seconds remaining in the extra period to give the Pioneers a 4-3 victory. Dams made 34 saves in the loss for the Crusaders.

HOLY CROSS LEADERS: Cyr leads the Holy Cross offense with 28 points this season including 17 goals and 11 assists. Sheahan and sophomore Everett Sheen are tied for second with 22 points with 10 goals and 12 assists and nine goals and 13 assists respectively. Juniors Rob Forshner (8g, 11a) and Ryan Driscoll (6g, 11a) round out the top five for the Crusaders.

AIC LEADERS: Campanale leads the Yellow Jackets with 18 points this season including seven goals and 11 assists, while sophomore Steve McLeod is second with six goals and 10 assists for 16 points. Penny is third with 15 points including eight goals and seven assists, while Richardson (9g, 5a) and freshman Nielsson Arcibal (3g, 11a) round out the top five with 14 points each this season.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET: Holy Cross pulled of a sweep of the home-and-home series on Jan. 9-10, 2009. The Crusaders won both games by a 5-1 score. Arcibal tallied AIC's lone goal in the first game, while Richardson netted the Yellow Jackets goal in the weekend finale.

ALL-TIME SERIES WITH HOLY CROSS: Holy Cross leads the all-time series with a record of 36-26-6, and is 3-1 this season and 10-3-2 over the past five seasons against AIC.