BRIDGEPORT, Conn.—The American International men's ice hockey team (3-5-2, 0-3-2 AHA) gutted out a comeback, earning 2-2 draw against the Sacred Heart Pioneers (0-9-2, 0-7-2 AHA) at the Webster Bank Arena, home of the American Hockey League's Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
The Pioneers scored the only goal of the first period just 3:38 into the game as freshman defenseman Matthew Solomon (Toronto, Ont.) fired a stretch pass through the neutral zone to give SHU a three-on-two. He connected with sophomore center Ben Lake (Calgary, Alb.) who then lifted a wrist shot top shelf over the glove of senior goalkeeper
Ben Meisner (Halifax, N.S.) to give the Pioneers a 1-0 advantage. It was Lake's second of the year.
Sacred Heart's top line extended the lead to 2-0 at 5:55 of the third frame when senior center Eric Delong (Oakville, Man.) fired a wrist shot that hit the pads of Meisner, and sophomore Brian Sheehan (St. Louis, Mo.) was there to push the rebound home for his fourth of the year.
The Yellow Jackets got the goal back shortly after, however; senior center
Steve Mele (Bronx, N.Y.) passed forward for freshman left wing
Chris Porter (Stoufville, Ont.) who took a shot; though senior goalkeeper Steven Legatto (Kamloops, B.C.) made the save, the rebound came to sophomore center
Alexander MacMillan (Calgary, Alb.) who put it back for his first of the year at 8:58. The goal was on the power play, with Lake in the box for tripping.
They then tied the game at the 13:17 mark of the third as the top line came together for a tally; senior right wing
Adam Pleskach (Beausejour, Man.) passed to junior left wing
Jon Puskar (Grosse Ile, Mich.) whose shot came to junior center
Blake Peake (Lethbridge, Alb.) for the tying goal, Peake's second of the year. Neither team could score in overtime, and the game ended in a 2-2 tie.
In goal, Meisner stopped 37 of 39 shots in the tie, moving to 2-5-2, while Legatto denied 35 of 37 shots in the draw to go to 0-4-1 on the season.
AIC next plays a weekend set in Buffalo, N.Y. when they play Canisius on Saturday and Sunday, with both games starting at 4:05 PM.
