Ice hockey wins special teams battle with Lindenwood

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – The American International College ice hockey team won a special teams-filled battle with Lindenwood University, 5-3, to secure a series sweep of the Lions on Sunday, October 23.

AIC improved to 4-2-2 with the win.

Despite two penalties early on, with the first coming just five seconds into the game, Lindenwood scored first, tallying shorthandedly as Caige Sterzer went length of the ice and fired a puck into the net at 3:14.

The game remained that way until after the midpoint of the second period. AIC drew a major power play and scored on it twice. The first goal came from a Blake Bennett one-timer from the right circle after a cross-pass from Jordan Biro, with Matt Rickard also assisting on the senior's sixth of the season at 10:26.

Then, Oscar Geschwind won a board battle and found Luis Lindner open on the right side of the ice. As the Lions penalty killers rushed toward him, he passed back left into the slot, where Brett Callahan was waiting to one-time home his first of the season at 13:27.

AIC's lead was short lived. Late in the major, Ryan Finnegan scored another shorthanded goal to tie the game 2-2 at 14:18.

AIC drew another penalty late in the period and converted it. Lindner hit the post, but Geschwind found the rebound behind the net and then found Brian Kramer with it in the slot for a blast at 17:55 that was his first of the campaign.

The Lions traded shorthanded for power play in the third, tying the game just 27 seconds into the third as David Gagnon hit the net.

Another major penalty proved to be fatal to Lindenwood's chances, however, as AIC netted its fourth man-up marker of the afternoon. Callahan started a rush with a long pass to Kramer, and from the right wall, Kramer fed Geschwind, who was trailing the play, for his fourth of the season at 13:38.

AIC capped the offense with a fifth goal just after the penalty expired. Dustin Manz, Jordan Biro, and Nico Somerville all worked the puck along the right side before Biro cut into the slot and roofed his third of the season at 15:01; the only even-strength goal of the game came just two seconds after the end of the penalty.

In net, Alexandros Aslanidis stopped 21 shots to secure the victory, moving to 3-1-0 on the year.

AIC resumes Atlantic Hockey Association play with a single game on Friday, October 28 at Army West Point. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.