PLAYOFF BOUND! Ice hockey clinches postseason berth with win at Air Force

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – A three-goal flurry in the first was enough as the American International College ice hockey team clinched a berth in the 2023 Atlantic Hockey Association Championship Tournament with a 3-2 win at the Air Force Academy on Friday, February 17.

AIC improves to 15-12-6 with a mark of 12-8-3-2-2-0 in the AHA.

The Yellow Jackets took the lead early. During a four-on-four, Julius Janhonen won a battle along the boards and dished the puck to Brett Callahan, who saw Blake Bennett near the opposing blue line. He hit Bennett with a stretch pass, and Bennett did the rest, firing in his AHA-leading 19th of the season at 6:54.

The second AIC goal was scored in similar fashion. Brian Kramer launched the puck a long way up the ice for Jordan Biro on a two-on-one; the winger was able to hit the net with his 10th of the year at 13:46 to double the lead.

Late in the period, AIC did it again. Callahan left the puck for Evan Stella, who moved it forward for Brett Rylance. The rookie forward cut into the attacking zone to the left circle and then wired a shot back to the right post and in at 17:48 for his seventh of the year.

Luke Robinson countered late in the frame for the Falcons, bringing the score to 3-1 at 18:24. From there, the Falcons put the pressure on AIC, but a rapidly-played second period saw neither a penalty nor a goal as the teams went to the locker rooms for the second time still at 3-1.

In the third, the Falcons cut the lead to one. Andrew DeCarlo banged in a rebound at the netmouth at 7:01 to give the home team hope.

It was false hope. Despite enormous pressure, and a late 6-on-4 following an AIC penalty, Jarrett Fiske stopped everything else. He totaled 36 saves on the evening, including a dozen in the third, and the Yellow Jackets earned three critical AHA points as a result.

The win locks up AIC's spot in the 2023 AHA Tournament, as the team can finish no lower than eighth place. The Yellow Jackets can clinch home ice in the first round tomorrow with another regulation win and regulation losses by Army West Point and Canisius College.

The two teams finish off the season series on Saturday, February 18 at 7:05 p.m. Eastern time.