Box Score

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The American International College men's ice hockey team dropped a 3-2 decision against the College of the Holy Cross on Friday night in an Atlantic Hockey contest. The Crusaders improved to 1-2-0 overall and 1-0-0 in Atlantic Hockey play, while the Yellow Jackets fell to 0-3-0 overall and 0-3-0 in league play.

Holy Cross got out to a 1-0 lead when freshman forward Andrew Cox (Lombardy, Ont.) tallied an unassisted goal 24 seconds into the first period. Sophomore forward Jon Puskar (Grosse Ile, Mich.) tied the game 1-1 in the 16th-minute of the first period with an assist from junior forward Michael Penny (Calgary, N.Y.) and sophomore defenseman Jeff Ceccacci (Placentia, Calif.).

Junior forward Gianni Baldassari (Fort Wayne, Ind.) scored a shorthanded goal 7 minutes into the second period off a pass from senior forward Everett Sheen (Lethbridge, Alberta) to take the 2-1 lead in favor of Holy Cross.

The Yellow Jackets tied the game at 2-2 thirteen-minutes into the second period when senior forward Steve McLeod (Atikokan, Ont.) buried a shot on the power play with assists from Ceccacci and senior defenseman Mike Little (Enfield, Conn.).

Freshman forward Shayne Stockton (Rochester, N.Y.) then scored on the power play for what would prove to be the game winning goal with 19 minutes remaining in regulation to propel the Crusaders past AIC 3-2. Senior defenseman Mark Znutas (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Sheen had the assists on Stockton's goal.

Sophomore goaltender Thomas Tysowsky (Amherst, N.Y.) made 20 saves in net for Holy Cross to earn the victory, while sophomore goaltender Ben Meisner (Halifax, N.S.) stopped 40 in the lose for the Yellow Jackets.

Holy Cross outshot AIC 43-22.

Next up, the Yellow Jackets travel to Air Force on Friday night, October 22, 2010 for a 9:05 p.m. Atlantic Hockey contest.