SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - A strong third-period push brought the American International College ice hockey team close, but the Yellow Jackets could not tie the No. 17 University of Massachusetts in a 4-3 setback at the MassMutual Center on Saturday, November 2.

AIC is now 1-5-1 overall, and remains 1-1-0-0-0-1 in Atlantic Hockey America play.

Though the Yellow Jackets generated a signficiant number of chances on net, the Minutemen roared to a 3-0 lead in the first. Jack Musa scored a pair in a 2:08 span, putting the visiting squad ahead at 11:00 and doubling the lead at 13:08 before Ryan Lautenbach finished a 3-on-0 breakout with a feed from Francesco Dell'Elce at 18:53.

The second period was played mostly at strengths other than even as both teams took major penalties. Each squad also scored a goal, with AIC getting on the board as Josh Barnes sprung Tyler Procious and John Lundy on a 2-on-1 breakout on an early man advantage; Lundy fed the puck back to the netmouth for the rushing Procious to tip his first collegiate goal home at 3:40, but Dans Locmelis tipped in a Kenny Connors shot at 5:45 to restore the Minutemen to a three goal edge. 

In the third, AIC climbed back into the game. Lauri Sertti forced a turnover that allowed Danny Weight to dish from behind the net to the front, where Timofei Khokhlachev was able to slam in his third of the year at 4:25. The Yellow Jackets then cut the gap to one at the 12:00 mark as Evan Stella snuck a low wrister through traffic for his first of the year, with assists to Alfred Lindberg and Lundy.

Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, they could not find the equalizer, as Michael Hrabal shut the door from there, completing his win with 44 saves. AIC's Chase Clark, who played the first 40 minutes, stopped 15 of 19, while Peyton Grainer stopped all 15 third-period shots he faced. 

AIC returns to AHA competition on Thursday, November 7 at the College of the Holy Cross at 7:00 p.m.