SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - In a game where favorable bounces were few for either offense, the American International College ice hockey team dropped a heartbreaker, conceding a goal with just 15 seconds left in regulation and ultimately falling 2-1 in the squad's Atlantic Hockey America opener against the Air Force Academy on Friday, October 25.

AIC is now 0-4-1 overall, with an 0-1-0-0-0-1 AHA mark.

Statistically, it was AIC that controlled most of the opening 40 minutes, outshooting the Falcons 20-6 through two periods, but in an odd twist, it was a near-Falcons goal that allowed AIC to finally break the deadlock in the middle frame. A Will Starring bid from the right side of the AIC zone hit flush off the pipe and bounced all the way out to the blue line in front of the Falcons bench, where Justin Mexico was there to turn the other way alongside Timofei Khokhlachev. The duo burst into the Air Force end and Mexico's right-to-left cross pass bounced off of Khokhlachev's skate and into the net at 11:30 for his first of the season. The Falcons challenged the goal as having been kicked in, but the officiating crew did not detect enough on replay to overturn the original call on the ice.

In the third, the Falcons began to take control of the game, peppering the AIC net with a dozen shots. Though Chase Clark was valiant in turning aside the first 11, the visiting squad finally punched through with just a quarter of a minute to go and six skaters on, with Brendan Gibbons batting a rebound through to tie the contest.

The only shot of the overtime ended the game; Austin Schwartz was able to get behind the defense and complete the comeback for the Falcons with a goal at 1:05 of the 3-on-3 extra session.

The two teams will finish off the two-game set on Saturday, October 26 at 1:05 p.m.