Box Score
West Springfield, Mass. – Sophomore forward
Michael Penny (Calgary, Alb.) found the back of the net three times to lead the American International College men’s ice hockey team to a 6-5 victory over the Bentley Falcons. With the win the Yellow Jackets improve to 4-19-2 overall and to 4-15-2 in Atlantic Hockey play, while the loss drops Bentley to 11-13-3 for the season and to 9-10-2 in the conference.
Penny’s hat-trick was the first for AIC since Jereme Tendler did it against Bentley on January 12, 2007. It was also the Yellow Jackets first time putting six goals on the board since February 9, 2008 at Bentley.
Penny put AIC on the board 1:53 into the game was he put home a pass from freshman forward
Charles LaChance (Quebec City, Que.). Senior forward
Chris Campanale (Chester Springs, Pa.) was credited with the second assist on the goal. The Yellow Jacket took a 2-0 lead just two-minutes later as Penny buried his second goal of the night, this time on the power-play, with a hand from freshman defenseman
Jeff Ceccacci (Placentia, Calif.) and junior forward
Tom Mele (Bronx, N.Y.). Mele then gave AIC a 3-0 lead when he tallied a goal at 13:16 with assists from classmate, forward
Mike McMillan (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) and Campanale. The Falcons finally got on the board with less than two-minutes remaining in the period, when sophomore forward Herbie Kent (Amesbury, Mass.) netted a goal. McMillan put the Yellow Jackets back on top by three-goals when he lit the lamp with seconds remaining. Freshman forward
Richard Leitner (Los Alamitos, Calif.) and junior forward
Greg Vatrano (East Longmeadow, Mass.) dished out the assists on the goal, as AIC went into the first intermission on top 4-1.
Just 13-seconds in to the second period, freshman forward
Adam Pleskach (Beausejour, Man.) gave the Yellow Jackets a 5-1 lead as he tallied his team leading 12th goal of the season, with assists from sophomore forward
Nielsson Arcibal (Vista, Calif.) and junior forward
Steve McLeod (Atikokan, Ont.). Penny completed the natural hat-trick and gave AIC a five goal lead, when he lit the lamp for the third time on the night. Campanale and LaChance handed out the assists on the goal. Sophomore forward Jamie Nudy (West Chester, Pa.) cut the AIC lead to 6-2 when scored an unassisted goal at the 9:00 mark of the period. The Yellow Jackets would head into the second intermission up 6-2.
In the third period, Bentley attempted to pull off the come from behind win as they netted three goals in the period. Freshman forward Jordy Trottier (Bozeman, Mont.), Kent, and senior forward Marc Menzione (Darien, Ill.) each found the back of the net in the period. But the Yellow Jackets would hold on for the 6-5 vicotry.
Junior netminder
Dan Ramirez (Rochester, N.Y.) turned aside 23 shots in the victory, while Junior Joe Calvi (New Lenox, Ill.) and sophomore Kyle Rank (Islip, N.Y.) combined for 18 saves in the loss for the Falcons.
AIC was outshot 28-24 on the night but held advantages of 13-6 in the first period and 10-9 in the second.
Next up, the Yellow Jackets finish the weekend double-header with Bentley tomorrow afternoon at 3:05 p.m. at the Olympia Ice Center.