Falcons use strong first to top ice hockey

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College ice hockey team fell 4-3 to Bentley University in an Atlantic Hockey Association game on Wednesday, February 8.

AIC falls to 14-12-5 with the setback, including an 11-8-2-1-2-0 AHA mark.

The game started off as well as a game can for the Yellow Jackets, as Brett Callahan pushed the puck up to Timofei Khokhlachev, who in turn found the rushing Brett Rylance over the blue line. Rylance fed Long the puck and drove the net, splitting the defense, and Long found Rylance right at the goalmouth for a tip in just 0:34 into the game. The goal was the rookie's fourth of the year.

However, Bentley turned its fortunes around two minutes later, as a turnover at the blueline allowed Tanner Main to unload a slapshot into the upper right corner of the net at 2:34. 

Lucas Vanroboys then notched back-to-back Bentley goals late in the first, scoring on a delayed penalty at 14:58 and on the subsequent power play on a netmouth scramble at 16:32 after Jarrett Fiske made several improbable saves in a row. 

In the second, AIC clawed back into the game. On the power play, Casey McDonald and Rylance won a board battle for the puck, with Rylance firing it into the middle for Oscar Geschwind. His initial bid was blocked but a second swipe snuck through and beat the goalkeeper at 12:34 for his seventh of the year.

AIC took an early penalty in the third, and though the Yellow Jackets killed it, Bentley scored moments after as Hunter Toale took a slapshot from the point that found the net at 2:55.

The Yellow Jackets responded similarly; though they failed on a power play, McDonald dumped the puck in deep as the penalty was ending and Callahan won the race to it, firing it back across the netfront where Rylance jammed in his fifth of the year at 6:14.

AIC continued to push, but Bentley did not yield again, hanging on for the 4-3 win.

The two teams finish the season series at Bentley Arena on Friday, February 10 at 7:05 p.m.