SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College ice hockey team willed its way to a 3-1 win over The College of the Holy Cross in Atlantic Hockey Association action on Thursday, January 27.

FAST FACTS:
Final Score: RV AIC 3, Holy Cross 1
Records: The Yellow Jackets rise to 14-9-1 overall and 13-4-0-0-0-2 in AHA play, while the Crusaders fall to 6-18-2 on the season with a 4-11-2-0-1-0 AHA mark
Location: MassMutual Center, Springfield, Massachusetts

KEY STATS:
Holy Cross:
Bobby Young: One goal
Matt Radomsky: Loss (4-10-2), 15 saves on 17 shots in 58:56

AIC:
Zak Galambos: One goal, one assist
Julius Janhonen: One goal
Brian Rigali: One goal
Parker Revering: One assist
Blake Bennett: One assist
Chris Dodero: One assist
Jake Kucharski: Win (10-6-1), 17 saves

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The first period was somewhat sluggish for both teams, with the Crusaders outshooting AIC 6-5 despite an AIC power play.
• The game's first goal came in the second period on an odd play, as Blake Bennett took advantage of a deflection in the neutral zone to spring Parker Revering on a rush. Revering cut between two Holy Cross defenders and the puck bounced up before falling at the feet of Julius Janhonen, who whacked it at the net and found the five-hole of Matt Radomsky at 6:01 for his fourth of the year.
• AIC doubled the lead on the power play on another unorthodox play. Chris Dodero deflected the puck along the left wing wall, and Zak Galambos did excellent work keeping it in Holy Cross's end. He then fired a pass back into the left circle for Brian Rigali, who attempted to cross the puck for Jake Stella on the far post. The pass never got to Stella, but instead found the back of the net as a Holy Cross defender deflected it home for Rigalis team-best 10th of the season at 18:25.
• At the end of the second, AIC challenged for a missed penalty, and won as the Crusaders were called for a major elbowing penalty. However, the five-minute power play turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the visiting squad, as Bobby Young scored on a shorthanded breakaway at 2:48 to get the Crusaders back into the game.
• AIC steadied itself after the shorthanded goal, and allowed just five shots the rest of the way; the Crusaders pulled Radomsky at 17:38, but Galambos iced the game 64 seconds later, launching the puck from his own goal line into the open cage for his second of the year and the 3-1 final.

BUT IT GOES TO 11:

• The nation's longest winning streak continued with the victory, as AIC has now won 11 consecutive games.
• The longest winning streak in the history of Atlantic Hockey is 13 games, set during the 2008-09 season by Air Force.
• AIC's 12 consecutive AHA wins in 2019-20 is the league record, while a stretch of 11 wins overall that overlapped that run is the program's record for consecutive total wins.

WE WERE BARELY 17:

• Galambos' assist on the Rigali goal tied him with Chris Theodore for the team's lead with 13; he leads all defensemen on the team with 15 points.
• During the 11-game win streak, Galambos has a line of 1-8-9 and a team-best 18 blocked shots.

NEXT UP:

• Owing to inclement weather expected throughout New England on Saturday, the series finale between AIC and Holy Cross will now be Sunday, January 30 at 12:05 p.m.
• Tickets for the game, and all AIC home ice hockey games, are available at www.aicyellowjackets.com/hockeytickets.