SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College ice hockey team defeated Army West Point by a 5-1 score in an Atlantic Hockey Association game on Thursday, February 10.

FAST FACTS:
Final Score: RV AIC 5, Army 1
Records: AIC rises to 16-10-2 overall and 15-5-1-0-0-2 in the AHA; Army falls to 11-14-3 on the season and 9-10-2-2-0-1 in the AHA
Location: MassMutual Center, Springfield, Massachusetts

KEY STATS:
Army West Point:
Hunter McCoy: One goal
Justin Evenson: Loss (1-3-0), 31 saves on 35 shots in 59:24

AIC:
Luis Lindner: One goal, one assist, +4 rating, three blocked shots
Chris Dodero: One goal, one assist, +2 rating
Brian Kramer: Two assists, +4 rating
Zak Galambos: Two assists
Blake Bennett: One goal
Chris Theodore: One goal
Jake Stella: One goal
Alec Calvaruso: Win (6-3-0), 19 saves in 59:53

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Much of the first period was spent in either Army's defensive zone or neutral ice, as AIC held the Black Knights to just one shot on goal. The Yellow Jackets did not score themselves, but drew a penalty late in the frame that carried over into the second.
• On that power play, Brian Kramer set up Zak Galambos for a one-timer. Though the bid was stopped by Justin Evenson, Jake Stella was at the side of the net to backhand the puck home at 1:31 for his 10th of the season.
• Army tied the game on a brilliant shot by Hunter McCoy, who snapped the puck from the right side under the crossbar at 10:33.
• It seemed as though the teams would head into the break still even when AIC's offense erupted. Galambos began a breakout with a pass to Justin Young, who skated to the left side of the blueline before dropping the puck to Chris Theodore. Theodore skated in, faked out the defender between himself and the net, then flicked the puck into the right corner for his eighth of the season at 18:51.
• On the very next shift, Chris Dodero won a battle for the puck and flicked it back to the point for Kramer, who crossed it from left to right along the blueline for a Luis Linder one-timer that beat Evenson cleanly, giving AIC a 3-1 lead heading into the third. The goal, Lindner's third of the season, hit the target at 19:05.
• In the third, AIC scored just following the end of a power play. Elijiah Barriga passed from the right side of the net back to Lindner at the midpoint, then cut to the front to screen the goalkeeper. With as many bodies as were between Evenson and the puck, he failed to track Lindner's pass to Blake Bennett in the right circle, and had no chance to stop the slapshot that turned into Bennett's ninth of the season at 7:02.
• The Black Knights pulled Evenson late, but to no avail; Dodero sealed the game with an empty-net tally from Justin Cole at 17:42. The goal, scored shorthanded, was Dodero's ninth of the season.

FANTASTIC FOUR:

• The duo of Kramer and Lindner combined for four points and four blocked shots.
• Additionally, the pair were plus-four, having been on the ice for all four AIC even-strength goals for.
• Kramer was on the ice for all five of AIC's tallies.

HOME ICE ADVANTAGE CLINCHED:

• The win, combined with Bentley University's defeat by Sacred Heart University, guarantees that AIC can finish no worse than third in Atlantic Hockey this season.
• As a result, AIC will host a home AHA Quarterfinal series to be played March 11-13.
• Due to the unavailability of the MassMutual Center as a result of a previously booked event, that series will be played at the Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

NEXT UP:

• AIC and Army close out the season series at Tate Rink on Saturday, February 12 at 6:05 p.m.