WORCESTER, Massachusetts The American International College ice hockey team overcame a 2-0 deficit to finish a season sweep of The College of the Holy Cross with a 3-2 win on Saturday, January 19.

FAST FACTS:
SCORE:AIC 3, Holy Cross 2
RECORDS:AIC's record improves to 12-11-1 overall and 12-7-1 in the AHC; Holy Cross falls to 4-14-3 overall and 4-10-2 in league play.
LOCATION:Hart Center, Worcester, Massachusetts

STATS:
AIC:
Janis Jaks: One goal
Chris Theodore: One goal
Kyle Stephan: Game-winning goal
Martin Mellberg: Two assists
Blake Christensen: Two assists
Patrik Demel: One assist
Jared Pike: One assist
Zackarias Skog: Win (9-8-0), 27 saves

Holy Cross:
Johnny Coughlin: One goal
Peter Crinella: One goal
Erik Gordon: Loss (3-12-3), 27 saves



HOW IT HAPPENED:

• AIC had the first shot on goal of the game off of the stick of redshirt freshman right wing Justin Cole and the first close call moments later when junior defenseman Nicolas Luka rang the right post with a shot from the point.
• Holy Cross picked up the game's first power play on a too many men penalty, and AIC paid for the mistake, as Johnny Coughlin ripped home a shot from the slot at 11:07 to open the scoring.
• The Crusaders doubled the lead on the second shift on the second period, as Peter Crinella turned a neutral-zone turnover into a goal, poking his own rebound home just 34 seconds into the frame.
• AIC got back into the game on a delayed penalty, as junior defenseman Janis Jaks one-timed home his second of the year on a pass from junior left wing Jared Pike that he received at the left-wing faceoff dot at 4:06 to cut the deficit to 2-1. Junior right wing Martin Mellberg earned the secondary assist on the goal
• Freshman left wing Chris Theodore broke in behind the Crusaders defense and drew a hooking penalty, and then finished what he started by tying the game on the ensuing power play, tapping in the rebound of the shot by Mellberg for his third of the year at 17:00; junior left wing Blake Christensen picked up a helper on the play.
• Holy Cross came out with fire to start the third, but it was AIC that took the lead, as Christensen sent a cross-point pass to junior defenseman Patrik Demel; his bid was tipped into the net by junior right wing Kyle Stephan for his seventh of the season at 3:09.
• From there, the game was played at a frenetic pace; Holy Cross drew a power play with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, but AIC's defense stifled the Crusaders, and junior goalkeeper Zackarias Skog made the saves he needed to to help the 3-2 score hold up.

A NEW RECORD:

• AIC has earned its 12th Atlantic Hockey win of the season, surpassing the school-record mark for the Division I era set a year ago.
• The team still needs three wins to surpass the overall win mark of 15 set last year; they have tied the second-best single-season wins total, set by the 2012-13 team that won 12 games.

HOBEY CHRISTENSEN:

• Christensen's two-assist night gives him a seven-game point streak dating back to January 5 against the University of Massachusetts. It is his longest such streak of the season.
• In that span, he has posted two goals and seven assists for nine points. Three of those assists were on game-winning goals.

NEXT UP:

• The Yellow Jackets leave New England for the first time since November 10, 2018 when they play a two-game series at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania beginning Friday, January 25 at 7:05 p.m.

STAY CONNECTED:

• For more updates about the AIC ice hockey team, follow@AIC_Hockeyon Twitter andInstagram, and likeAmerican International College Ice HockeyonFacebook. For updates on all AIC Yellow Jackets teams, follow@AICAthleticsonTwitterandInstagram, and likeAIC Yellow JacketsonFacebook.