SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College ice hockey team earned its 10^th win of the season after a 3-1 victory over Robert Morris University in Atlantic Hockey Conference action on Friday, January 26.

FAST FACTS:
Final score: AIC 3, Robert Morris 1
Records: AIC improves to 10-14-3 and 9-10-3 in conference play; Robert Morris is now 10-13-2 and 9-8-2 in Atlantic Hockey.
Where: MassMutual Center

STATS LEADERS:
AIC:
Blake Christensen (one goal, one assist, six shots, +1)
Hugo Reinhardt (one goal, one assist)
Zackarias Skog (20 saves)
Dominic Racobaldo (one goal, +1)

Robert Morris:
Jacob Coleman (one goal, +1)
Sean Giles (one assist, +1)
Francis Marotte (17 saves)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After drawing a penalty just 1:28 into the game, the Yellow Jackets got on the board first off a power-play goal from sophomore alternate captain Hugo Reinhardt at 1:36. AIC held a 7-5 advantage in shots over Robert Morris in the first period.
• The Yellow Jackets would continue their success early in the second period when sophomore forward Blake Christensen scored with 15:13 left in the second period to go up 2-0 over the Colonials.
• Robert Morris cut into the AIC lead at the 13:13 mark of the third period with a goal from Jacob Coleman. The Colonials had a 10-4 shot advantage over the Yellow Jackets in the third frame.
• With the Colonials pulling goalie Francis Marotte with 1:47 left in regulation, senior alternate captain Dominic Racobaldo capitalized with an empty-net goal for the Yellow Jackets. AIC would then hold on with a 3-1 win.

BUZZWORTHY:

• With an assist on Reinhardt's goal, freshman defenseman and Hobey Baker Award nominee Brennan Kapcheck pushed his team-leading assist total to 14; that total is already past the team-high assist total from the 2016-17 season and marks his 20^th point of the year, also a team best.
• Christensen continues to lead the team after scoring his 10th goal of the year. This is the first time this season that Christensen has scored in three consecutive games.
• Reinhardt's goal was his first since December 1 against Bentley, breaking a nine-game goal drought.
• Racobaldo's empty-net goal marked his first of the year and the third of his career for the defensive-minded defenseman.
• This is the first time since the 2013-14 season that AIC has posted double-digit wins. AIC's Division I program record for wins in a season is 12, which the team accomplished in 2012-13.
• The win was the first for AIC over Robert Morris since November 6, 2015, a 3-2 victory in Pittsburgh that also marked the program's first-ever win against a ranked opponent.

COACH'S CORNER:

• "In my opinion, of all teams, that's the best team we've seen all year-they're big, strong, fast, skilled, really well-coached, and they've got the best player in the league," head coach Eric Lang said of the Colonials, adding that "I thought we defended hard-we defended from the middle out, which is what we talk about, and it was a really good effort from our group in terms of finishing."
• "I told them to enjoy it, and as soon as we leave the rink today, they've gotta flush it, and that'll be it moving forward," he said.

PLAYER'S CORNER:

• "It was a good game, great being back with the boys competing out there," Skog said about coming back for his first start since October.
• "They're really good in their own rink," said Christensen, "Our rink is a bit bigger and I think we used that to our advantage."

NEXT UP:

• AIC returns to the MassMutual Center on Saturday, January 27 to finish off the weekend slate with Robert Morris University. Puck drop is set for 1:05 p.m.
  

STAY CONNECTED:

• For more updates about the AIC ice hockey team, follow @AIC_Hockey on Twitter and Instagram, and like American International College Ice Hockey on Facebook. For updates on all AIC Yellow Jackets teams, follow @AICAthletics on Twitter and Instagram, and like AIC Yellow Jackets on Facebook.