BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut - The American International College ice hockey team earned a 4-2 Atlantic Hockey Association victory at Sacred Heart University in the first of a two-game set on Friday, January 21.
FAST FACTS:
Final Score: RV AIC 4, Sacred Heart 2
Records: The Yellow Jackets improve to 12-9-1 overall and 11-4-0-0-0-2 in the AHA, while the Pioneers drop to 9-10-3 on the season with a 7-7-2-2-0-1 mark
Location: Webster Bank Arena, Bridgeport, Connecticut
KEY STATS:
Sacred Heart:
Nick Boyagian: One goal
Austin Magera: One goal
Justin Robbins: Loss (6-5-3), 13 saves on 16 shots
AIC:
Justin Young: One goal, one assist
Jake Stella: One goal, one assist
Chris Theodore: Two assists
Luis Lindner: Two assists
Brian Kramer: One goal
Austen Long: One goal
Jake Kucharski: Win (9-6-1), 29 saves
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Pioneers had an early advantage in terms of possession, with a 7-4 shot edge through the first 10 minutes of play, but it was the Yellow Jackets striking first as Jake Stella pushed the puck up the right wing boards to Luis Lindner for a shot that Justin Young tipped in for his sixth of the season at 11:19.
- Near the midpoint of the game, AIC doubled its lead. Chris Theodore shielded the puck from a defender on the outside of the right circle before whipping a pass to the point for Lindner. Lindner took aim at the cage and fired a shot that popped off the pads of Justin Robbins and right to Stella, who banged it back into the net for his eighth of the season at 7:54.
- The Pioneers broke the shutout at 13:29, only to have AIC restore its two-goal advantage moments later. Young cut off a zone entry in front of the Sacred Heart bench and turned quickly up ice for Theodore to break in on a two-on-one. Theodore's chance was denied, but Brian Kramer rushed in as the trailing player and popped in his second of the season at 14:02.
- Sacred Heart was afforded a major opportunity to tie the game in the early stages of the third, with a major penalty and a minor as well against AIC inside of the first 2:50 of play. However, the hosts could not capitalize, with Jake Kucharski stopping five shots during the shorthanded situation.
- The power play did finally click for the home squad late in the period, as Nick Boyagian was able to bring Sacred Heart within a 3-2 margin at 12:31, but the Yellow Jackets held the Pioneers off from there, with Austen Long's empty-net goal after a lengthy clear from Zak Galambos sealing the win at 19:41.
THE REAL BLACK AND GOLD LAMBO:
- Not only did Galambos earn an assist on the game-ending empty-net tally, he led all players with four blocked shots on the night.
- He has a team-best 39 blocks in 20 games this season, and a team-high 11 assists as well.
NEXT UP:
- The teams close out the weekend set with a matinee game at Webster Bank Arena as puck drop is slated for 1:05 p.m. on Saturday, January 22.
