WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. The American International College ice hockey team returns home after a mini three-game road swing as they host Niagara University in a crucial last season Atlantic Hockey Conference series on Friday and Saturday.
Friday's contest begins at 7:05 p.m. before a 3:05 p.m. matinee on Saturday afternoon to close the series. Both games can be seen LIVE or you can follow along with LIVE STATS!
LAST TIME OUT: AIC dropped three games last week falling 1-0 to Princeton in a non-conference midweek affair before being swept on the road at Mercyhurst, 3-1 and 5-3.
ALL-TIME SERIES: This just the 15th and 16th meetings all-time between the two schools as this series dates back just six seasons to the 2010-11 athletic year. Niagara holds the 10-4 all-time record including victories in the first six meetings between the two schools and nine out of the first 10. However, AIC has taken three of the last four meetings over the past two seasons including a 4-2 decision earlier this year in Niagara Falls.
HIGH-FIVE: The five goal outburst two weekends ago during a 5-5 tie with Bentley is the best offensive performance for the Jackets all year and the most goals in a game since another 5-5 tie against No. 20 Robert Morris on November 21, 2014 a span of 48 games.
TRENDING NOW: Freshman Mitch Mueller scored the first two goals of his collegiate career and added an assist this past weekend to earn himself the Atlantic Hockey Defenseman of the Week honor. This marks the second time this season an AIC defender has earned this distinction (Ryan Polin 11/24) and the sixth major weekly award for AIC this season. Mueller now has four points in his last five starts and is seeing more ice time and beginning to hit his stride.
ABOUT NIAGARA: The Purple Eagles come into this contest on an 11-game winless streak going 0-10-1 over that span. Derian Plouffe paces the team with nine goals and five assists for 14 points while just four players have reached double figures in scoring for Niagara. The Purple Eagles have used a goaltender by committee crew this season as all three goalies on the roster have at least 10 games played and over 450 minutes logged. Jackson Teichroeb returned at the end of first semester after having surgery at the conclusion of the 2014-15 season and has started 10 of the last 11 games between the pipes for Niagara posting a 2.47 goals against average and a .911 save percentage.
POWER OUTAGE: AIC has converted just 1-of-20 power-play chances since the start of the second semester dropping them from second in the conference to sixth with 16.7 percent effectiveness. However, Niagara is just 11-for-103 on the season converting just 10.7 percent of all man-advantages which is last in the entire nation for Division I.
UP NEXT: AIC heads to the largest stage of the season as they host non-conference foe UMass at the MassMutual Center on Tuesday night for a 7:05 p.m. affair.
