WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass.-Three players had two point games as American International's ice hockey team overcame two first period one-goal deficits to topple the defending conference champion Canisius Golden Griffins 5-3 to earn a split on the weekend.

AIC now sits at 7-18-1 and 6-12-1 in Atlantic Hockey play, while the Griffins are 10-14-2 and 9-8-2 in the AHA.

Despite an early advantage in possession by AIC, it was Canisius striking first, with junior left wing Braeden Rigney banging home a rebound at 6:06 for his sixth of the year. AIC quickly responded, however, as senior left wing Jon Puskar (Canton, Mich.) corralled a puck on the wall and pushed it to freshman right wing David Norris (Calgary, Alb.), who twisted through a few defenders and deflected a pass to junior center Alexander MacMillan (Calgary, Alb.) in the slot; MacMillan blasted it home for his eleventh of the season at 7:14.

Canisius came back just as rapidly, however, as their leading scorer, senior right wing Kyle Gibbons, was able to jam home a puck at 7:46 for his twelfth of the season.

It seemed as though AIC was in danger of the game getting away from them when they took a penalty shortly after the goal; however, freshman right wing Mike Dietrich (Southampton, N.J.) stole the puck thanks to a tenacious forecheck and threw it toward the net, where fellow rookie right wing Dan Clairmont (Bracebridge, Ont.) was there to deflect it home for his second of the campaign at 10:35.

Early in the second, AIC took the edge for the first time, as Puskar and Norris moved the puck back to the point for junior defenseman Steven Hoshaw (Vista, Calif.), who unleashed a slapshot that found the five hole for his second of the year just :58 into the frame; Norris's second assist of the night gave him 20 for the year, tying the team's Division I single season record.

The team extended the lead at 10:15 when junior center Brandon Fagerheim (Calgary, Alb.) and freshman left wing Austin Orszulak (Springfield, Mass.) sent Clairmont into the zone with a pass, and Clairmont fired a shot off the stick of a defenseman for Canisius that eluded goalkeeper Tony Capobianco for his third of the year, sending the veteran to the bench.

Canisius would cut the lead to 4-3 at 2:37 of the third when, on the power play, junior defenseman Doug Jessey unloaded a slapshot that was deflected in front by a Yellow Jacket. The goal was his fifth of the year.

However, from there, despite a barrage of chances, freshman goalkeeper Hunter Leisner (Garland, Texas) held the fort down, and the last goal was an empty netter by junior right wing Jason Popek (Hamilton, Ont.) at 19:32 for his sixth of the year.

Leisner improved to 5-10-1 with the win, making 31 saves on 34 shots in 59:46 of play; Capobianco was tagged with the loss, playing 30:50 and stopping 14 of 18 to fall to 6-8-2; junior Keegan Asmundson played the final 27:52 and stopped all six shots he faced, though he did not receive a decision.

AIC returns to action Friday when they start a two-game series against the Army Black Knights at the Olympia, with a 7:05 p.m. start.