BOUT AIC: The Yellow Jackets finished the 2015-16 campaign with a record of 7-29-3, including a 6-19-3 mark in Atlantic Hockey Conference play. Despite the overall tough season, there were many bright spots. The Yellow Jackets earned their first-ever win over a ranked opponent, taking a 3-2 victory at then-No. 20 Robert Morris University on November 6, 2015. Right wing Johno May had two tallies to lead AIC's comeback from down 2-0 in the contest and goaltender Alex Murray stopped 44 shots in the victory. They also earned a 5-4 win at eventual Atlantic Hockey champion RIT, their first victory in Rochester since 2008. Seeded eleventh for the postseason, they fell in three games to Army West Point, with center Bryant Christian scoring an overtime winner in the second game to force the decisive third contest. Left wing Austin Orszulak led the team in goals, assists and points with a line of 12-15-27 on the season. Christian came in second in goals and points at10-10-20. In all, AIC returns nine of its top ten scorers from a season ago, as well as Murray, who started 33 of the team's 39 games and posted a .907 save percentage in his sophomore campaign.
SCOUTING THE DUTCHMEN: The Dutchmen are coming off of a split at the No. 11 University of Michigan, where they won their first contest of the season 4-3 before falling 4-0 in the second matchup. In the victory, the Dutchmen overcame a 2-0 first period deficit with a pair of goals by junior right wing Spencer Foo to tie the game 2-2 after 20, and then, after falling behind 3-2 through the second, tallied two late goals to tie and then win the game in the final five minutes with senior defenseman Jeff Taylor potting the winner to go along with two earlier assists. Senior goalkeeper Alex Sakellaropoulos made 20 saves in the win. Foo led the team in goals last season with 12 and was second in points with 25, while his classmate, center Mike Vecchione, was tops in assists and points, sporting a 9-20-29 line in 2015-16.
LAST TIME THEY MET: AIC was Union's home opener opponent two seasons prior as the Dutchmen celebrated an ECAC Hockey League Regular Season and Postseason Championship as well as their subsequent National Championship from 2013-14 on October 10, 2014. The Yellow Jackets fell to the Dutchmen 7-3 despite leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the first period. May had the opening goal in his first career game and also assisted on a goal by Orszulak in the third period.
WELCOME TO JACKET NATION: The Yellow Jackets have thirteen newcomers to the roster with eight forwards, three defensemen, and two goalkeepers. There is a strong international flair among the rookie class, with three Swedes, two Czechs, and a Latvian in addition to two Canadians and five Americans in the Class of 2020. Up front, the Jackets add Blake Christiansen, Martin Mellberg, Hugo Reinhardt, Jared Pike, Billy Vizzo, Joel Kocur, Kyle Stephan, and Dominik Florian. On defense, AIC welcomes Patrik Demel, Janis Jaks, and Niko Luka. In goal, the team brings in Justin Ketola and Zackarias Skog.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: Orszulak, a senior and Springfield native, was named captain of the team for the 2016-17 season. Joining him as assistant captains are Christian and defenseman Dominic Racobaldo. Orszulak and Christian each wore a letter last season; Racobaldo would have, but was forced to miss the season due to injury.
A PEEK AT THE POLLS: The Yellow Jackets were projected 11th in Atlantic Hockey in both the preseason Coaches' and Media Polls for the upcoming season. AIC earned 15 points in the Coaches' Poll based on the 11 votes of the head coaches in Atlantic Hockey, while the team earned 28 points from the 19 votes collected in the Media Poll, curated from various print, radio, and online media members and sports information staff who cover Atlantic Hockey.
WELCOME HOME: Apart from marking the first game as the head coach of AIC Hockey for Eric Lang, the contest will also be a homecoming for Union's Rick Bennett. Bennett is a Springfield native and a 1986 graduate of the prestigious Wilbraham & Monson Academy in nearby Wilbraham, Massachusetts. He is one of a handful of area natives to reach the National Hockey League, playing 15 games with the New York Rangers, and played in the American Hockey League for the Springfield Indians and Springfield Falcons from 1993-95.
NEXT UP: The Yellow Jackets travel to Hartford, Connecticut to take on the University of Connecticut Huskies at the XL Center onFriday, October 21, 2016. Puck drop is slated for7:00 p.m.
