SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College ice hockey team rang in 2022 in style with a 5-2 Atlantic Hockey Association win over the Air Force Academy on Saturday, January 1.

FAST FACTS:
Final Score: AIC 5, Air Force 2
Records: AIC improves to 5-9-1 on the season with a 5-4-0-0-0-2 AHA mark, while the Falcons fall to 5-10-2 and 3-6-2-2-0-0 in the AHA
Location: MassMutual Center, Springfield, Massachusetts

KEY STATS:
Air Force:
Sam Brennan: One goal, one assist
Willie Reim: One goal
Alex Schilling: Loss (5-10-2), 30 saves in 58:01

AIC:
Brian Rigali: Two goals
Parker Revering: One goal, one assist
Zak Galambos: Two assists
Blake Bennett: One goal, one assist
Jake Stella: One goal, 11 faceoff wins
Julius Janhonen: One assist, 10 faceoff wins

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Air Force generated an early breakaway opportunity, but Jake Kucharski was up to the task, denying Nate Horn's bid less than half a minute into the game.
• Late in the first, AIC opened the scoring on the power play. Zak Galambos fired the puck across the top of the zone for Chris Dodero on the left side wall, and Dodero floated a pass to the midpoint for Parker Revering. The captain's slapshot snuck through the pads of Alex Schilling and into the Air Force net at 14:53 for his first of the season.
• The Falcons came out flying in the second, taking the first eight shots of the period, and tied the game on a power play of their own, as Sam Brennan launched his third of the season into the net at 6:49.
• AIC thought it took the lead back on a power play goal four minutes later when Hunter Johannes hit the twine, but the goal was disallowed, and review confirmed the on-ice call of goalkeeper interference.
• Not to be deterred, AIC scored an undeniable goal shortly after. Revering started the puck out of the zone on the power play with a pass to Justin Young, and Young in turn hit Blake Bennett near the Air Force blueline. The Grand Island, New York native dipped his shoulder to beat a defender and then fired the puck over Schilling's blocker at 12:33 to give AIC back the edge with his fourth of the campaign.
• Just 2:01 later, AIC doubled the edge. Luis Lindner found Chris Theodore over the line with a pass on the right side. Theodore's shot was stopped by Schilling, but the rebound came right to Jake Stella, who put the puck back into the cage for his team-best seventh of the season at 14:34.
• In the third, AIC scored its fourth goal of the night, again up a man. Galambos found Julius Janhonen along the right side of the goal line, and he was able to cross the crease with a pass to Brian Rigali for a back-door tap-in at 6:50. The goal was Rigali's fourth of the season.
• Air Force was undeterred and cut into AIC's lead on a power play of its own. Willie Reim found the puck on his stick in the slot and rocketed home his fifth of the season at 11:57 to pull Air Force within two.
• The Yellow Jackets kept the Falcons at bay the rest of the way, and as time ticked down, the guests attempted to pull Schilling. Before he could even get to the bench, however, Bennett knocked the puck free in the neutral zone and batted it to Rigali, who was able to ice the game into the open cage at 17:30 with his fifth of the year.

FIRST OF THE YEAR, FIRST POINT:

• AIC had not played a New Year's Day game since elevating to the NCAA Division I level.
• Lindner's assist was his first collegiate point.

STAY OUT OF THE BOX:

• The teams combined for five power play goals on the game.
• With the Falcons 2-for-4 and the Yellow Jackets 4-for-6, an even 50 percent of the game's power plays were converted.

NEXT UP:

• The two teams finish the season series on Sunday, January 2 at 4:05 p.m. at the MassMutual Center.
• Tickets for the game, and all AIC home ice hockey games, can be purchased at www.aicyellowjackets.com/hockeytickets.