WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass.-The American International College men's ice hockey team (5-13-3, 2-10-3 AHA) fell by a final score of 5-4 to the Robert Morris Colonials (12-7-2, 7-6-1 AHA) at the Olympia Ice Center in a matinee matchup.

The Colonials scored early and often in the first frame, with three goals in the first 6:03; first, sophomore left wing Cody Wydo (Southgate, Mich.) went in on a breakaway to tally his 10th of the year at 2:47, with assists to freshman defenseman Evan Moore (Grosse Point, Mich.) and freshman center David Friedmann (Toronto, Ont.); then off of a faceoff win in the attacking end, freshman right wing Zac Lynch (Pittsburgh, Pa.) pushed the puck along the wall to junior right wing Mac Roy (Chilliwack, B.C.) who found junior defenseman Andrew Blazek (Pittsburgh, Pa.) at the point for a one-timer that became his sixth of the year at 3:50; finally, Friedmann and junior left wing Colin South (Sewickley, Pa.) connected with Roy in front for his first of the year at 6:03.

However, AIC would get a late goal to swing momentum toward their side. On a power play, freshman left wing Chris Porter (Stoufville, Ont.) dished to senior right wing Richard Leitner (Los Alamitos, Calif.), who then found sophomore center Alexander MacMillan (Calgary, Alb.) in front to cut the deficit to 3-1 at 19:11; the goal was MacMillan's fourth of the campaign.

The Jackets then cut the deficit to 3-2 in the second as the same trio connected on another power play; this time, it was Porter to MacMillan on the near wall, who hit Leitner in front for a tally that was his seventh of the season at 13:48.

However, the Colonials would score in the waning seconds of the frame to make it 4-2; with three Jackets in the box, Blazek jammed it home off of a rebound for his seventh goal of the year at 19:49.

Puskar scored shorthanded early in the third to cut it back to 4-3 at the 1:26 mark on a rocket in the slot from sophomore right wing Brandon Fagerheim (Calgary, Alb.) and senior defenseman Chris Markiewicz (Calgary, Alb.); the goal was his sixth of the year.

However, the Colonials scored the game winner into an empty net, shorthanded at 19:16, with senior center Zach Hervato (Stittsville, Ont.) connecting from classmate and defenseman Tyler Hinds (Orleans, Ont.) on his seventh of the year.

AIC got a late PPG from Markiewicz, who wired one home from freshman defenseman Brandon Lubin (Commerce Township, Mich.) at 19:44 to close out the scoring.

In net, senior goalkeeper Ben Meisner (Halifax, N.S.) stopped 29 of 33 shots he faced in the loss for AIC, falling to 4-12-3 on the year, while classmate Eric Levine (Wheeling, Ill.) kept out 30 of 34 shots in the win to improve to 11-5-2 on the season.

AIC next will play a home-and-home with the Connecticut Huskies in an Atlantic Hockey matchup, heading to the Frietas Ice Forum on Friday, January 25 at 7:05 PM before returning to the Olympia Ice Center for their only home match of the year against the Huskies on Saturday, January 26 at 7:05 PM.