AIC TOPS HOLY CROSS 4-2
Worcester, Mass. (January 19,
2007).- Junior Jereme Tendler (Viceroy,
SK) and senior Jeremy Leroux (Lunenburg,
ON) each registered a goal and an assist to help lead
American International College past Holy Cross 4-2 Friday evening
at the Hart Center in Atlantic Hockey action. The win propels the
Yellow Jackets to 4-14-0 in the AHA and 4-17-0 overall. The loss
drops the Crusaders to 7-9-4 in the AHA and 8-13-4 overall.
Holy Cross held a clear advantage in the first-period, but only out-shot the Yellow Jackets 9-4. The Crusaders controlled the puck and as a result scored the games first goal. Senior Sean Nappo skated in practically untouched, and flicked his sixth goal of the year past AIC net minder Tom Fenton (Sarnia, OH) at the 16:40 mark, giving Holy Cross a 1-0 advantage.
The second-period started off in a different manner. AIC had a power-play from the prior stanza and put several shots on net, gaining control of the game. The Yellow Jackets would capitalize on their aggressive play later on in the frame when sophomore David Turco (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) deflected an intended pass past Crusaders goalie Charlie Lockwood tying the game at one. Freshman Mike McMillan (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) and Leroux registered assists on the game tying goal. The goal was scored just 2:59 into the frame.
The Yellow Jackets would take a 2-1 lead in the second, after Leroux snuck past the Crusader defense and tossed a crisp backhand past the right shoulder of Lockwood. Leroux received a clear pass from sophomore Matt Woodard (St. Louis Park, MN.) on the goal giving him the assist, which was scored with just under four minutes remaining in the period.
AIC didn't stop the aggressive play. Exactly 20 ticks after the Leroux goal, junior Mark Pavli (Sarnia, ON) again pressed pasted the Holy Cross front and lifted a wrist shot to the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season, giving the Yellow Jackets a 3-1 lead going into the third. Pavli's goal was assisted by freshman Frankie DeAngelis (Woodbridge, ON) and Tendler.
Crusader's junior Dale Reinhardt burst out of the opening face-off in the third-period, and made the contest a one-goal game before the stanza was a minute deep. AIC would counter just over two minutes later when Tendler found himself on a break-away and shot a wrist-shot past the top-left shoulder of the opposing goalie, making the score 4-2 Yellow Jackets, which is the way the game would end.
This marked the first time in a 16-game span the Yellow Jackets defeated Holy Cross. Last time AIC was victorious over the Crusaders was January, 4th 2002.
Fenton recored 31 saves in net for the Yellow Jackets while Locksmith turned away 11 of the AIC shot-attempts.
AIC will come back to Worcester tomorrow evening for the
back-end of this weekend series, starting at 7:00p.m.