SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College ice hockey team used a two-goal first period to propel itself in a 2-1 win over the College of the Holy Cross on Friday, January 5.

FAST FACTS:
Final score: AIC 2, Holy Cross 1
Records: AIC is now 7-12-2 and 6-8-2 in Atlantic Hockey play; Holy Cross moves to 7-7-7 overall and 6-3-6 in Atlantic Hockey.
Location: MassMutual Center

STATS LEADERS:
AIC:
Blake Christensen (one goal)
Darius Davidson (one goal)
Stefano Durante (one goal allowed, 21 saves)

Holy Cross:
Scott Pooley (one goal)
Paul Berrafato (25 saves)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• AIC set the tone early, outshooting Holy Cross 11-4 in the first frame. The Yellow Jackets got on the board just 1:12 into the game when sophomore forward Blake Christensen posted his team-leading seventh goal of the year, assisted by sophomore forward Dominik Florian.
• By the midway point of the first period, AIC had a 2-0 lead thanks to a nice move from freshman forward Darius Davidson, who notched his third of the year on a nice move around a Holy Cross defender.
• Holy Cross pressed late, outshooting AIC 11-4 in the final frame. The team nearly cut the score in half during a power-play opportunity midway through the third, but the shot rang off the pipes and stayed out of the net to preserve the 2-0 score.
• The Crusaders got one back near the end of the third period thanks to the national goal-scoring leader in Scott Pooley. With the goalie already pulled in favor of an extra attacker, an AIC penalty gave Holy Cross a 6-on-4 advantage and the opportunity to cut the score in half, 2-1, at 18:09.

BUZZWORTHY:

• For the fifth consecutive year, AIC won its first game of the New Year.
• Entering Friday's matchup, freshman goaltender Stefano Durante and Holy Cross goalie Paul Berrafato ranked first and second in Atlantic Hockey in goals-against average. Despite just missing out on a shutout, Durante continues to lead the conference with a 2.06 goals-against average, a mark that ranks 10^th nationally. Berrafato continues to rank first in the conference with a .923 save percentage.
• Davidson is tied for the team lead with two game-winning goals this season.

COACH'S CORNER:

• "Credit to Berrafato, he's a really good goalie, he's won a lot of games in this league," said AIC head coach Eric Lang. "They made a big push there at the end, which we expected. They're a very good hockey team. But I thought our guys handled it even-keeled and I thought our guys were super positive and I liked the way we finished it out."

PLAYERS' CORNER:

• "I used my speed and made a move to put it in the net," Davidson said. "Everyone on the team played a good game and defensively we shut them down which was key to our success."
• "It was a total team effort," Durante said. "They [my teammates]came up with some big blocks there late in the game to keep it at 2-1."

NEXT UP:

• AIC and Holy Cross will conclude the weekend series at the Hart Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Saturday, January 6. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.

STAY CONNECTED:

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