WORCESTER, Massachusetts - Despite a late-first period burst by The College of the Holy Cross, the American International College ice hockey team pushed its win streak to five games with a 5-2 victory in Atlantic Hockey Association action on Sunday, January 9.

FAST FACTS:
Final Score: RV AIC 5, Holy Cross 2
Records: The Yellow Jackets improve to 8-9-1 overall and 8-4-0-0-0-2 in the AHA, while the Crusaders drop to 5-15-1 overall and 3-8-1-0-1-0 in AHA play.
Location: Hart Center, Worcester, Massachusetts

KEY STATS:
Holy Cross:
Jack Ricketts: Two goals
Nick Hale: Two assists
Erik Gordon: Loss (0-5-0), 28 saves on 32 shots in 56:32

AIC:
Elijiah Barriga: Three assists, 12-for-17 on faceoffs
Brian Rigali: One goal, one assist
Parker Revering: One goal, one assist
Luka Maver: One goal
Blake Bennett: One goal
Justin Young: One goal, two blocked shots
Alec Calvaruso: Win (2-3-0), 21 saves

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Crusaders came out firing and drew a penalty on the second shift of the game, but AIC's penalty killers held the hosts without a shot.
• Midway through the period, AIC earned a power play of its own, but the home side likewise kept the scoreboard clear.
• The third penalty of the period, this one also against Holy Cross, went differently. After a barrage of shots, AIC found itself taking a faceoff just outside the line. Elijiah Barriga won it straight forward and drove to the net alongside Blake Bennett, and Bennett ended up popping in his fifth of the year at 17:13.
• The Crusaders roared right back to tie the game on a two-on-one, as Jack Ricketts finished a two-on-one with Lucas Thorne at 17:48. Ricketts then pushed the Crusaders ahead of AIC for the first time on the weekend on the power play at 19:50, slapping home a Nick Hale pass through a screen for the 2-1 lead.
• After regrouping in the locker room, AIC rebounded. Austen Long hit the post with a shot early in the period, but the Yellow Jackets tied it up less than two minutes later. On a power play, Bennett and Barriga kept the puck in the zone, and Barriga dished it into the left circle for Justin Young. Young saw Brett Callahan open in the slot and fed the puck his way, and Callahan drew the goalie out of position before returning the puck to Young for a one-timer strike at 7:50, his third of the year.
• Less than a minute and a half later, AIC took the lead. Barriga won a draw back to Parker Revering, and the Yellow Jackets captain cut to the right side around a defender before backhanding a pass back to Barriga in the slot. The puck bounded off of Barriga right to Brian Rigali, who made no mistake in scoring his sixth of the season at 9:10.
• Holy Cross took another penalty late in the period, and though they killed it off, AIC struck just after; Revering held the line and swung from the left point to the right side before passing to Zak Galambos for a shot that bounced off of Rigali in front and right back to Revering, who put home his second of the season at 15:54.
• The Crusaders pushed against AIC in the third but the Yellow Jackets held the line, with Alec Calvaruso making eight saves and the team blocking six more chances. With a late power play, the Crusaders opted to pull goalkeeper Erik Gordon for a 6-on-4, but a turnover in the neutral zone allowed Luka Maver to ice the game with a shorthanded empty-net tally, his fourth goal of the campaign, at 18:37.

ALL THE WAY UP:

• The Yellow Jackets jumped three points ahead and into sole possession of first place in the AHA with the win.
• AIC's 26 points in 12 games puts the Yellow Jackets three clear of Bentley and Canisius; the Falcons have also played 12 league games, while the Golden Griffins have played 14.
• AIC has a .722 points percentage, which is a 56-point pace over a full 26-game slate.

ALL GOOD THINGS MUST END:

• AIC's shutout streak against the Crusaders ended after 344:22 of play with the first Ricketts goal.
• The Yellow Jackets had scored 18 consecutive goals in the series.
• AIC's goalkeepers had combined to stop 120 consecutive shots on goal during the stretch.

NEXT UP:

• AIC's next game is Tuesday, January 11 against the University of Connecticut.
• Tickets for AIC vs UConn, and all home ice hockey games, are available at www.aicyellowjackets.com.