AIC finishes in a tie gets extra point in a shootout, regular season concludes on Saturday

Story By: Matthew Wiernasz

Photo courtesy of AIC

SPRINGFIELD, MA- The AIC Yellow Jackets finished in a 2-2 tie against the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Friday night at the MassMutual Center but would win 2-1 in a shootout with Brian Kramer scoring the game-winning goal to get the extra point.

” For us this time of year, we obviously want to be playing our best hockey. I thought the 60 minutes prior to that was as good as we could play against a really good opponent. I told our group we got what we deserved and the extra point was big for us because it gives us a chance to be a 2 seed tomorrow which is really important for our hockey program. We want to finish as high as we can with the regular season.” AIC Yellow Jackets Head Coach Eric Lang Said

I thought we battled hard tonight. I thought AIC had the better of the play in the first and kind of in the middle of second, we flipped the switch. We started stacking shifts on top of each other.  It was a gritty game. I thought we were in a good spot and got the lead. Tough call I think to put on that 5-on-4 but AIC executed and got that goal. You go to a shootout and anything can happen. It’s a skills competition. It is what it is.” Pioneers Head Coach C.J. Marottolo

” First off it was a great game overall.  We battled back to get to even late. We played a full 60 minutes and then went into overtime. I was watching MacDonald’s goal what he did on the first move so I kept that in mind.  Puck went in.” AIC defenseman Brian Kramer Said

Oscar Geschwind will get the Yellow Jackets on the board as he got the puck on a turnover and scored his eighth goal of the year to make it 1-0.

The Pioneers responded late in the second period as Dante Fantauzzi redirected a shot that went off a Yellow Jackets player stick to tie the game at 1-1 with 5:41 remaining in the second period.

Neil Shea gave the Pioneers their first lead of the night with the wrist shot to make it 2-1 with 10:58 remaining in regulation.

The Yellow Jackets tied the game late in regulation as Blake Bennett tied the game with the wrist shot for his team leading and conference leading 20th goal of the season at 2-2.  Bennett becomes the second player in the Division-1 program for AIC to score 20 goals.

The game would finish in a shootout as Brian Kramer would use the nifty move and beat Pioneers goaltender Luke Lush to win the game.

The regular season will conclude tonight when these two teams meet with a lot on the line. Tonight’s game could be like a playoff-style game

” It has to be. It’s a good dry run for both of us because after this week we’re playing for keeps.” Lang Said

” Oh most definitely,” Kramer Said

The puck drop tonight is at 7:05 p.m.

The AIC Yellow Jackets will host the Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals next weekend Friday through Sunday at the MassMutual Center.