WEST SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College ice hockey team swept Bentley University in the Atlantic Hockey Association Championship Tournament Quarterfinals, winning Game Two of the best-of-three series 6-2 thanks in part to a hat trick from Blake Bennett.

FAST FACTS:
Final Score: RV AIC 6, Bentley 2
Records: AIC improves to 20-12-3, while Bentley drops to 14-20-2
Location: Olympia Ice Center, West Springfield, Massachusetts

KEY STATS:
Bentley:
Matt Lombardozzi: Two goals
Ethan Roswell: Three blocked shots
Evan DeBrouwer: Loss (9-9-1), 21 saves on 26 shots

AIC:
Blake Bennett: Three goals, one assist, +3 rating
Austen Long: One goal, one assist, +3 rating
Chris Dodero: One goal, one assist
Brian Rigali: One goal, 8-for-11 on faceoffs
Elijiah Barriga: One assist, 16-for-27 on faceoffs
Alec Calvaruso: Win (8-4-0), 20 saves

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Yellow Jackets exploded out of the gate with two goals. On the power play, Brian Rigali won a board battle and then executed a give-and-go with Chris Dodero, finishing the play in the net at 1:38 for his 12th of the season. Less than a minute later, on a breakout, Austen Long passed right to left, through center Julius Janhonen to Blake Bennett, who tucked the puck five-hole at 2:37 for his 12th of the season, pushing AIC ahead 2-0.
• Bentley cut into the lead at 7:24 as sustained pressure led to a Matt Lombardozzi slapper through a screen.
• The Yellow Jackets bounced right back to go ahead 3-1 as Elijiah Barrigawon a battle behind the net and fired a pass into the slot that Dodero one-timed home for his 11th of the season at 11:57.
• In the second, AIC added to its advantage on the power play. Justin Young passed from the right corner to Luis Lindner at the center point, and Lindner found Bennett in the right circle for a one-timer tally, his 13th of the season, at 9:11.
• In the third, Bentley drew a two-man advantage and converted, with Lombardozzi scoring his second of the game at 8:37.
• Bennett and Long combined to put the game out of reach just past the period's midpoint. Bennett broke over the left side on a two-on-one, sliding the puck to Long for a tap-in at the right post at 11:38 for his third of the year.
• Bentley pulled Evan DeBrouwer for an extra attacker, but Zak Galambos cleared the puck to space in the neutral zone, and Bennett tapped in the hat trick goal, his 14th of the season, at 18:48 to close the scoring and ultimately the series.

B-B-B-BENNY AND THE HATS:

• Bennett's hat trick was AIC's third of the season.
• Jake Stella had a three-goal game against Bentley in November.
• Barriga scored three in a win at Mercyhurst in February.
• The playoff hat trick was AIC's first since Nielsson Arcibal '12 lit the lamp three times against Robert Morris on March 4, 2012.

NEXT UP:

• The Yellow Jackets will play Mercyhurst University in the AHA Semifinal at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York on March 18.