WORCESTER, Mass.-In a game that was the polar opposite of the one they played last week, the men's ice hockey team found their defense, with rookie goalkeeper Hunter Leisner (Garland, Texas) making a first period goal by junior center Alexander MacMillan (Calgary, Alb.) stand up with 22 saves in a 1-0 win over the rival Holy Cross Crusaders tonight.

American International, now 3-3-0 overall, is 3-0-0 in Atlantic Hockey play, leading the conference and unbeaten through their first three AHA games for the first time ever.

The lone goal of the game came at 14:13 of the first when senior left wing Jon Puskar (Canton, Mich.) sprung MacMillan and freshman right wing David Norris (Calgary, Alb.) on a two-on-one. MacMillan and Norris executed the give-and-go perfectly, pulling Crusaders junior goalkeeper Matt Ginn (Lindsay, Ont.) across the crease and out of position before MacMillan deposited his third of the year.

From there, a physical defensive struggle ensued. AIC had seven minutes of power play in the early stages of the second period, including a major PP after a Crusader was ejected for contact to the head, but could not cash in; indeed, the best opportunity on that long special teams situation was for the Crusaders, but Leisner made the save of the game, sliding across to stop the two-on-one.

The Crusaders tried in vain to score on three power plays of their own, including a third period five-on-three, as the Yellow Jackets blocked shots, fifteen in all through the game, and hemmed Holy Cross in their own end; the Crusaders never were able to get a shot away with the sixth attacker and barely even managed to pull Ginn.

AIC will next host the University of Connecticut Saturday at the Olympia Ice Center on Saturday, November 23 at 7:05 p.m.