AIC YELLOW JACKETS (0-1-1, 0-0-0 AHC)
vs.
SACRED HEART PIONEERS (1-3-1, 0-2-0 AHC)



Sunday, October 23, 3:00 p.m.
MassMutual Center, 1277 Main Street, Springfield, Mass.

Live Stats | Video| AIC Roster | SHU Roster

LEADERS:

AIC:
Goals:Dominik Florian 2, Four tied with 1
Assists: Austin Orszulak 2, Eight tied with 1
Points: Dominik Florian 3, Austin Orszulak 2, Eleven tied with 1
Blocked Shots: Nicolas Luka 4, Ryan Polin 3, Three tied with 2
Goalkeepers:
Alex Murray: 1 GP, 1 GS, 0-1-0, 5.07 GAA, .848 SV% (28/33), 0 ShO
Zackarias Skog: 1 GP, 1 GS, 0-0-1, 1.85 GAA, .947 SV% (36/38), 0 ShO
PP: 16.7% (2/12) PK: 88.9% (16/18)

SACRED HEART:
Goals: Evan Jasper 2, Four tied with 1
Assists: Four tied with 2
Points: Justin Danforth 3, Evan Jasper 3, Four tied with 2
Blocked Shots: Erlich Doerksen 11, Liam Clare 7, Two tied with 6
Goalkeepers:
Brett Magnus: 5 GP, 5 GS, 1-3-1, 3.23 GAA, .893 SV% (134/150), 0 ShO
PP: 6.7% (2/30) PK: 87.2% (34/39)

The American International College ice hockey team prepares to open conference play with a home tilt against Sacred Heart University.

LAST TIME OUT: Behind the strength of 36 saves in the debut of freshman goalkeeper Zackarias Skog and goals by rookie winger Jared Pike and sophomore wing Shawn McBride, the Yellow Jackets tied the Connecticut Huskies 2-2 Friday night. Pike score AIC's first goal of the game to tie the score at 1-1 late in the first period, while McBride's second period power play tally ultimately was the game-tying goal. Skog made 14 saves in the third period as AIC killed off each of Connecticut's last nine power plays in the game to hold on to the draw. Freshman winger Dominik Florian and senior winger Austin Orszulak each had assists to extend their point streaks to two games.

Sacred Heart suffered a 7-0 setback against national number eight Boston University on Friday. The Terriers scored both of their first period goals in a span of twenty seconds with tallies by Jordan Greenway and Clayton Keller at 7:48 and 8:08 respectively. They then exploded for five in the third, scoring twice on the man advantage and once shorthanded as well. Sacred Heart's Brett Magnus stopped 31 of 37 shots in 55:46 in the defeat, while Nathan Perry turned aside two shots and allowed one goals in the game's final 3:28.

LAST TIME THEY MET: Sacred Heart finished a season sweep of AIC in West Springfield with a 5-2 win on November 10, 2015. Though David Gandara '16 opened the scoring just 2:21 in on a pass from junior winger Jackson Dudley, the Pioneers controlled most of the contest, taking a 3-1 lead into the late portions of the third period. However, McBride and junior defenseman Andrew DeBrincat set up a goal by Chris Porter '16 at 15:43 of the final frame to cut the edge to 3-2. AIC pulled junior goalkeeper Alex Murray for a sixth attacker to try to tie the game, but the Pioneers hit the open cage twice to salt away the win. Murray made 34 saves in the setback, while Magnus stopped 27 shots in the win.

DRAWS IN DEBUTS: Skog's first career start ending in a tie likely gave Murray flashbacks; the junior's first career start also ended in a 2-2 deadlock. It was on October 17, 2014 that Murray first hit the ice for AIC, against the Holy Cross Crusaders at the Hart Center in Worcester. Murray stopped 53 out of the 55 chances against, including an astounding ten in overtime.

CAPTAIN PLAYMAKER: While he is most known for his goal-scoring ability, this season team captain Austin Orszulak has put up two assists, and both have been critical; his first helper on opening night tied the game 4-4 with just over five minutes to play in regulation, while his second against Connecticut was on the game-tying second goal for AIC.

KILLER INSTINCT: AIC's 16-for-18 penalty kill puts the Jackets at fourteenth-best in the nation with an 88.9 percent success rate; that, along with the 2-for-11 power play, gives AIC a combined special teams total of 18-for-29, or 62.1 percent, third best in the nation, behind only Lake Superior State and Boston University in the early season.

FASHIONABLY LATE: AIC is the last Atlantic Hockey team to make their conference debut. Robert Morris has a league-high four games played in-league so far, Niagara and Canisius have each played three games so far, Army West Point, Air Force, Bentley, Canisius Holy Cross, RIT, and Sacred Heart have two games in the league under their belts, and Mercyhurst has played once in league competition.

NEXT UP: AIC makes the long trip to Erie, Pennsylvania to battle the Mercyhurst Lakers in a pair of Atlantic Hockey Conference matchups on Friday, October 28 and Saturday, October 29 at 7:05 p.m.