SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College ice hockey team ran its streak to eight wins with a 6-3 Atlantic Hockey Association victory against Mercyhurst University on Saturday, January 15.

FAST FACTS:
Final Score: RV AIC 6, Mercyhurst 3
Records: The Yellow Jackets now stand at 11-9-1 on the season with a 10-4-0-0-0-2 AHA mark; the Lakers fall to 5-13-4 with a league record of 3-7-4-1-0-1
Location: MassMutual Center, Springfield, Massachusetts

KEY STATS:
Mercyhurst:
Josh McDougall: Two assists
Gueorgui Fedulov: One goal
Noah Kane: One goal
Danter Sheriff: One goal
Pierce Crawford: One assist, 13-for-22 on faceoffs
Kyle McClellan: Loss (1-7-2), 38 saves on 43 shots in 59:12

AIC:
Chris Theodore: One goal, two assists
Blake Bennett: One goal, one assist
Brian Rigali: One goal, one assist
Elijiah Barriga: One goal, one assist
Jake Stella: Two assists
Julius Janhonen: One goal
Justin Young: One goal
Alec Calvaruso: Win (3-3-0), 18 saves

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Yellow Jackets smothered the Lakers at both ends of the rink in the first period, outshooting their opposition 15-4 in the first.
• The lone goal of the period came off the stick of Chris Theodore; he had taken the puck in the neutral zone and swung it to the right side of the blueline for Jake Stella before driving to the net, and Stella returned the puck to him for a one-timer at 7:23 that became his sixth of the season.
• Just past the midpoint of the second period, the duo struck again, with Justin Young finishing the play. Stella started AIC out of its own end with a pass to Theodore, who slid it to the right side for Young. As Young cut down the wall, he crossed the puck into the slot, where it deflected off of Stella and behind the net. Young had continued to that area of the ice, and was able to wrap the loose puck around and in for his fifth of the season at 10:03.
• The Lakers finally found the scoreboard shortly after, as Dante Sheriff scored his second of the weekend on a fabulous individual effort at 11:41, only to have AIC respond just 17 seconds later. Brian Rigali gave the puck to Elijiah Barriga at the blue line for a quick shot, and Kyle McClellan made the save, but the rebound bounced off of Blake Bennett and into the net for Bennett's sixth of the year.
• Both teams notched power play goals in a two minute span late in the period. Rigali was the first, with Chris Dodero setting Zak Galambos up for a one-timer that the graduate student deflected in for his ninth of the season at 14:16. However, Gueorgui Fedulov answered for the Lakers at 16:12 to send AIC to the locker room only ahead 4-2.
• Mercyhurst cut its deficit to one off the rush as Noah Kane struck at 6:20 of the third, putting pressure on AIC to avoid giving away the lead.
• AIC drew a major power play late in the third, and nearly immediately cashed in. Bennett tipped a pass to Theodore along the right half-wall, and Barriga set up behind the net to take the puck. He faked a lacrosse move before dishing back to Theodore for a one-timer, and then whacked the rebound into the net at 13:06 for his third of the season.
• Mercyhurst pulled McClellan with 2:34 remaining, but AIC capitalized on the open cage, as Luis Lindner took the puck deep in AIC's end and sent it to Julius Janhonen, whose 190-foot shot went into the cage at 17:55 for his third of the season and the 6-3 final.

EIGHT STRAIGHT:

• AIC has won eight consecutive games, dating back to November 27 against Canisius.
• In that stretch, AIC has outscored its opposition 33-17.
• During the streak, Rigali leads the team in goals with six, Stella is tops with six helpers, and Theodore has nine points; freshman Luis Lindner is a +9.
• Lindner and Rigali also lead the team in blocked shots with 12 in that stretch.

NEXT UP:

• AIC has a showdown with Sacred Heart University, opening a two-game series on Friday, January 21 at 6:00 p.m. at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut.