Box Score

Milford, Conn. – The American International College men's ice hockey team dropped a hard fought battle with Sacred Heart 4-3, in the finale of their home-and-home series Saturday night. With the loss the Yellow Jackets fall to 5-21-2 overall and to 5-17-2 in Atlantic Hockey play, while the win improves the Pioneers to second in the AHA with a 14-7-3 record and to 16-10-4 overall.

Freshman forward #Steve Mele# (Bronx, N.Y.) gave AIC a 1-0 lead, seven-minutes into the first period when he buried his career collegiate goal. Forwards, senior #Josh Froese# (Winkler, Man.) and junior #Tom Mele# (Bronx, N.Y.), were credited with the assists on the goal. The Yellow Jackets outshot Sacred Heart 11-9 in the period and went into the first intermission on top 1-0.

Freshman #Adam Pleskach# (Beausejour, Man.) put AIC on top 2-0 when he found the back of the net just 10-seconds into the second period with assists from sophomore forward #Nielsson Arcibal# (Vista, Calif.) and freshman defenseman #Jeff Ceccacci# (Placentia, Calif.). With the goal, his team-leading 14th of the season, Pleskach now sits fourth all-time in goals in a single-season for the Yellow Jackets since they joined Division I. Sacred Heart got on the board six-minutes into the period when junior forward Patrick Knowlton (Colorado Springs, Colo.) tallied his 10th goal of the season. Just one-minute later, sophomore forward Matt Gingera (Winnipeg, Man.) lit the lamp for the Pioneers, tying the score at 2-2.

Knowlton gave Sacred Heart its first lead of the night at 2:51 of third period when he netted a wrap-around for his second goal of the night. Senior forward Nick Johnson (Windsor, Conn.) put the Pioneers up 4-2 when he tallied his Division I leading 23rd goal of the season 9-minutes into the period. Just 28-seconds later junior forward #Steve McLeod# (Atikokan, Ont.) cut the Sacred Heart lead to 4-3 for AIC when he netted his sixth-goal of the season. Junior Defenseman #Mike Little# (Enfield, Conn.) and Pleskach dished out the assists on the goal. Little now leads the team with 10 assists this season.

Junior netminder #Dan Ramirez# (Rochester, N.Y.) made 29 saves in the loss for the Yellow Jackets, while classmate Olivier St. Onge (Wickham, Que.) turned aside 30 shots for the Pioneers.

AIC and Sacred Heart were even in shots on the night with 33 each, but the Yellow Jackets held an 11-9 advantage in the first and 12-10 in the third.

Next up, AIC travels to Buffalo, N.Y. for a weekend series with Canisius beginning on Saturday at 3:05 p.m.