WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass.-The American International College hockey team nearly overcame a disastrous first period, but a comeback fell just short as the team dropped a 4-3 decision to Army in the final game of the weekend at the Olympia Ice Center.

A ten-minute long stretch for Army resulted in a 4-0 lead as the Black Knights opened the scoring at 4:40 with freshman center Tyler Pham (Fort Collins, Colo.) netting his seventh of the year, and exactly two minutes later it was 2-0 after senior left wing Zak Zaremba (Parma, Ohio) potted his third of the campaign.

Army scored again at 8:28, knocking sophomore goalkeeper Hunter Leisner (Garland, Texas) out of the game when sophomore left wing C.J. Reuschlein (Flint, Mich.) put home his fifth of the year. The Knights finished off the early rally with a power play goal at 14:01 by junior captain and right wing Joe Kozlak (Duluth, Minn.) for his fourth on the season.

AIC did get one back on the penultimate shift of the period, as senior center Alexander MacMillan (Calgary, Alb.) got the puck behind the Army net and dished in front to freshman right wing Johno May (Mahtomedi, Minn.), who one-timed it home for his fourth of the year at 19:45.

In the second, AIC had the better of the pressure, and took advantage of a power play to cut it to 4-2, as MacMillan won a draw to junior left wing Chris Porter (Stouffville, Ont.), who in turn dished to an open senior right wing Nathan Sliwinski (Castle Rock, Colo.) in the slot, and Sliwinski's shot found the twine at 12:20 for his third of the season.

AIC continued the pressure in the third, and MacMillan and senior right wing Jason Popek (Hamilton, Ont.) battled to get a puck to junior left wing David Gandara (Canyon Lake, Calif.), who ripped it home at 15:09 for his third of the year.

However, the Jackets could get no closer, and a late penalty prevented the last hopes of a comeback.

Freshman Cole Bruns (Prarie Grove, Ill.) stopped 27 shots to improve to 1-5-1 on the year; Leisner had two saves in 9:37, and freshman Alex Murray (Burlington, Ont.) played 49:38 of relief, turning aside 22 of 23, but took the loss to fall to 2-8-3 on the season.

AIC next heads to Rochester, N.Y. for a two-game set against the RIT Tigers on January 9 and 10. Both games start at 7:05 p.m.