WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass.-Despite seizing the momentum with a late game-tying shorthanded goal, the American International men's hockey team dropped a 4-3 decision in overtime to Army tonight.

The loss dropped AIC to 3-5-0 on the year and 3-2-0 in the AHA, while Army improved to 2-10-0 and 2-7-0 in league play.

Army was all over AIC in the first frame, taking a 20-6 shot advantage and striking at 8:11 on a three on two that was finished by junior forward Zak Zaremba.

In the middle frame, the Black Knights extended the lead to two early on, as senior forward Brian Schultz struck at 3:40. However, AIC would respond at 8:03 when, on the power play, freshman left wing David Norris (Calgary, Alb.) connected a pass to senior right wing Jon Puskar (Canton, Mich.), who in turn hit junior center Alexander MacMillan (Calgary, Alb.) in the slot for a shot that became his fourth tally of the year.

Army would open the third on the power play thanks to a too-many-men on the ice penalty late in the second and they made AIC pay for their mistake when freshman forward C.J. Reuschlein deflected a shot home just :45 into the frame, re-extending the lead to two.

The Jackets had a power play tally of their own, and an unusual one; as MacMillan jammed a puck free at neutral ice, it slid into the Army end, and MacMillan was able to spit the defense and poke it under junior goalkeeper Rob Tadazak for his second of the game and fifth of the season at 7:44.

However, the Jackets still trailed, and things went from bad to worse when they took a penalty with 1:56 left in regulation. With the odds stacked against them, they drew an icing, and after freshman defenseman Carson Grolla (Trail, B.C.) stole the puck he fired it across the slot to a wide open Puskar, who tied the game at 18:34 with his third of the campaign.

The euphoria was short-lived, however; Army won the game in the extra frame when sophomore forward Willie Faust broke in on the left wing and fired a wrist shot home at 1:08 of overtime to give Army the two points and leave AIC empty handed.

The Jackets open a weekend set against Mercyhurst Friday at home, with a scheduled puck drop of 7:05 p.m.