ERIE, Pennsylvania – The American International College ice hockey team posted a 5-0 win over Atlantic Hockey America foe Mercyhurst University on Friday, February 7.

AIC is now 9-17-1 overall and 7-12-0-0-0-2 in the AHA.

The Yellow Jackets put a puck behind the goalkeeper early on, as Lauri Sertti scored just 1:16 in on a wrist shot from the left circle, but the Lakers challenged for goalkeeper interference and the tally was overturned on review. 

From there, Mercyhurst put pressure on AIC, with nine first-period shots. Chase Clark turned all the opportunities back, helping to keep the game scoreless early on.

Later in the first, AIC struck again with a goal that did count. Dario Beljo entered the Lakers end and fired the puck around the boards and Noah Serdachny continued it along for David Posma at the right point. Posma's one-timer deflected to Beljo, who had continued to the net and was free on the left side just above the paint. He fired in his seventh of the season at 13:20.

In the second, the Yellow Jackets scored twice in a 49-second span. The scoring started with a save by Clark at the side of the net, followed by AIC working the puck up quickly to generate a 3-on-1 with Brett Bamber, Serdachny, and Weight. The trio moved the puck quickly in a triangle toward the Lakers net, and Weight jammed home the biscuit at the left side of the crease for his fourth of the season at 4:10.

Another rush play led AIC to the 3-0 lead, as Alfred Lindberg won a puck battle and quickly crossed the puck right-to-left for John Lundy up the ice. He then hit Alexander Malinowski coming over the blue line on the right-wing side, and Malinowski found Lindberg trailing the play; his shot hit the net at 4:59 for his fifth of the campaign. 

In the third, AIC put the game away. Serdachny caught a long pass that came from Sertti behind AIC's net and pushed the puck to Weight. Weight recognized Brett Bamber driving forward into the zone and put it perfectly onto his stick, and Bamber's shot hit a Laker defenseman and deflected in for his sixth of the season at 5:23.

Finally, Malinowski and Lindberg connected again, with Malinowski stripping the puck from a Lakers defenseman just to the left of the goal-line extended and dropped it off to Lindberg. The sophomore ripped it into the top right of the net for his sixth of the year at 11:26, closing the scoring.

Clark's 21 saves earned him his fifth win and first shutout of the year.

The two teams finish off the regular season series at the Mercyhurst Ice Arena at 4:05 p.m. on Saturday, February 8.