SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College ice hockey team won with offense on Friday, January 14, downing Atlantic Hockey Association rival Mercyhurst University in the first of four meetings between the teams by a count of 5-4.

FAST FACTS:
Final Score: RV AIC 5, Mercyhurst 4
Records: AIC improves to 10-9-1 overall and 9-4-0-0-0-2 in the AHA; the Lakers fall to 5-12-4 on the season with a 3-6-4-1-0-1 AHA record
Location: MassMutual Center, Springfield, Massachusetts

KEY STATS:
Mercyhurst:
Steven Ipri: One goal, 13-of-16 on faceoffs
Kyler Head: One goal
Josh McDougall: One goal
Dante Sheriff: One goal
Hank Johnson: Loss (4-6-2), 32 saves in 59:09

AIC:
Brian Rigali: Two goals
Justin Young: One goal, one assist
Jake Stella: Two assists
Chris Van Os-Shaw: One goal
Chris Dodero: One goal
Luis Lindner: One assist, two blocked shots
Jake Kucharski: Win (8-6-1), 15 saves

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Lakers jumped out to an early lead on a turnover, as Dante Sheriff raced into the AIC zone and snapped home his fourth of the year at 4:33.
• AIC drew a power play midway through the frame and quickly used it to equalize; Parker Revering took a shot that broke a defender's stick, then pushed the rebound to Jake Stella in the right circle. Stella found Chris Dodero at the right side of the net, and his cross pass hit a skate and went in for his fifth of the season at 11:40.
• Just over four minutes later, AIC took the lead on a pretty passing play. After Brian Kramer denied the Lakers a zone entry, he flicked the puck forward to Justin Young for a rush. Young in turn distributed to Stella, and Stella hit Chris Van Os-Shaw with a pass on a mid-lane drive for his fourth of the year at 15:43.
• AIC quickly jumped ahead further in the second, taking advantage of some puck pinball. Elijiah Barriga rang a shot off the right post that deflected to Blake Bennett in front of the net. The puck hit off of him as well, bouncing across the crease to Rigali for a tap-in for his seventh of the season at 1:41.
• The Lakers came right back to cut the deficit to one on a breakout pass that put Kyler Head just behind AIC's defense; he was able to muscle the puck home at 6:54 to bring the game to 3-2.
• AIC went down a man, but Rigali turned a negative into a positive by poke-checking the puck away from the Lakers defense and going in on a breakaway. He was hauled down from behind and awarded a penalty shot, which he deftly lifted over the blocker of Lakers goalkeeper Hank Johnson for his eighth of the year, officially at 7:06.
• The visiting side pulled a reversal of fortune on the Yellow Jackets, as Josh McDougall jammed a puck into the net at 10:03, and Steven Ipri struck on a breakout play that ended with him and the puck in the net at 12:41, tying the game.
• The Yellow Jackets had taken a punch, but returned fire and took back the lead minutes later. In similar fashion to the tying Lakers tally, it was Luis Lindner starting a breakout with a pass up the wing. Chris Theodore eluded a Laker in the neutral zone to start a 2-on-1 with Young, and his pass to Young set up an easy tally at 15:35, Young's fourth of the season.
• The third went by without a tally; Jake Kucharski made eight saves, including a few late as the Lakers pushed desperately for the equalizer they would not find.

SEVENTH HEAVEN:

• AIC has won seven in a row, tied for the fourth-longest winning streak in AHA history.
• With other results from around the league, AIC is now four points clear of the pack in first place in the AHA, with 29 on the season at the midpoint of the team's league schedule.

NEXT UP:

• The two teams close out the weekend set with a 1:05 p.m. puck drop on Saturday, January 15 at the MassMutual Center.
• Tickets for the game and all AIC home ice hockey games are available at www.aicyellowjackets.com/hockeytickets.