2015-16 MEN’S ICE HOCKEY GAME NOTES American Int’l Yellow Jackets (0-6-0, 0-1-0 AHC) vs. RIT Tigers (0-4-1, 0-0-0 AHC) October 30-31, 2015 - 7:05 p.m. - Olympia Ice Center - West Springfield, Mass. 2015-16 Schedule/Results RECAPPING 2014-15: AIC finished last season 4-25-7 overall and 4-17-7 in Atlantic Hockey giving them 15 points, good for 10th place in the conference O October 10 New Hampshire L, 3-7 just a single point above Niagara, who they swept on the road as part of 16 Alaska-Fairbanks+ L, 2-7 their four wins. The Yellow Jackets’ other two wins came as they split a pair 17 Alaska-Anchorage+ L, 2-6 23 Penn State L, 3-8 of home-and-home series with Army West Point taking a game on the road 24 Penn State L, 3-5 and at home during each weekend. The Jackets were paired against Air 27 SACRED HEART* L, 1-4 Force in the opening round of the Atlantic Hockey Championship, but were 30 RIT* 7:05 p.m. 31 RIT* 7:05 p.m. swept by the Falcons 6-1 and 10-3 to end their season. November 6 Robert Morris* 7:05 p.m. 7 Robert Morris* 7:05 p.m. LAST TIME OUT: AIC dropped their home opener to Sacred Heart on Tues- 10 SACRED HEART* 7:05 p.m. day evening by a 4-1 score. The Jackets scored first on a power-play goal in 20 Niagara* 7:05 p.m. the first period, but the Pioneers recorded four unanswered goals including 21 Niagara* 7:05 p.m. 24 Holy Cross* 7:05 p.m. a pair on the power-play themselves for the victory. December 1 Bentley* 7:05 p.m. LAST TIME THEY MET: Last season the teams played to a 3-3 tie before 11 ARMY* 7:05 p.m. the Tigers got the better of the Jackets the following night with a 3-2 victory. 12 ARMY* 4:05 p.m. Both games were played in Rochester at the Gene Polisseni Center. This January weekend’s series marks the first two games of four this season between the 2 CANISIUS* 7:05 p.m. teams as AIC will travel to RIT for a pair of contests in February. 3 CANISIUS* 4:05 p.m. 5 HOLY CROSS* 7:05 p.m. 8 Air Force* 7:05 p.m. ALL-TIME SERIES: RIT leads the all-time series 3-25-3 with the last AIC 9 Air Force* 5:05 p.m. victory coming during the 2010-11 season with a 6-2 triumph right here at 22 Bentley* 7:05 p.m. 23 BENTLEY* 7:05 p.m. the Olympia Ice Center. 26 Princeton 7:00 p.m. 29 Mercyhurst* 7:05 p.m. 30 Mercyhurst* 7:05 p.m. MY HOMETOWN: Junior Austin Orszulak continues to be the must see attraction in Springfield, Mass. as the local product is averaging a point per February game so far this season with three goals and three assists for six points. The 5 NIAGARA* 7:05 p.m. 6 NIAGARA* 3:05 p.m. alternate captain had great success against RIT last season as he recorded 9 UMASS-AMHERST$ 7:05 p.m. a pair of goals one in each contest. He also registered the game-tying mark- 12 RIT* 7:05 p.m. 13 RIT* 7:05 p.m. er with just seven seconds remaining in the third period sending the game 16 UMASS-LOWELL 7:05 p.m. to overtime in the teams 3-3 tie in Rochester. 19 Holy Cross* 7:05 p.m. 20 HOLY CROSS* 7:05 p.m. 24 BENTLEY* 7:05 p.m. FRESHMAN FURY: This past weekend against Penn State three rookies scored their first career goals and so far this season five freshman have BOLD indicates Home contest secured goals and another has added an assist to total six of nine freshman * = Atlantic Hockey Contest with points already on the season. Travis Douglas registered one goal and + = Brice Alaska Goal Rush $ = MassMutal Center Game an assist in the series finale against the Nittany Lions while Marc Dubeau and Lucas Bombardier each have a goal and assist with Johnny Mueller totaling one goal and a pair of helpers for three points and Shawn McBride has 2014-15 Results a pair of scores and one helper to lead the rookie class. (4-25-7, 4-17-7 Atlantic Hockey) ABOUT RIT: Senior Gregory Amlong and junior Todd Skirving pace the Tigers Date Opponent Result October with a pair of goals as the only multi-goal scorers on this young season while 10 No. 5 Union L, 3-7 sophomore Mark Golberg and freshman Gabe Valenzuela lead the way with three 17 Holy Cross* T, 2-2 (OT) 18 Holy Cross* L, 2-3 points apiece. 24 CANISIUS* L, 1-3 25 CANISIUS* L, 2-4 POWER-PLAY STRUGGLES: Both squads struggle with the man-advantage as 31 Niagara* W, 3-1 November AIC is just 2/16 and RIT is 2/17. However, the Tigers have been successful on the 1 Niagara* W, 4-2 PK so far this season killing off 15-of-20 while the Jackets have haulted 10-of- 7 Massachusetts L, 1-7 17 opposing man-advantages. 14 Michigan L, 2-5 15 Michigan L, 3-6 21 No. 20 ROBERT MORRIS* T, 5-5 (OT) LIGHT THE LAMP: AIC is currently third in Atlantic Hockey with 14 goals on the 22 No. 20 ROBERT MORRIS* L, 0-6 29 Dartmouth L, 2-3 season through the first six games only below Mercyhurst (32) and Robert Morris December (19) while the Tigers have only scored eight times this season placing them only 5 Canisius* L, 1-3 ahead of Army West Point (5). 6 Canisius* T, 4-4 (OT) 13 BENTLEY* T, 4-4 (OT) 14 BENTLEY* L, 2-5 30 Clarkson L, 3-4 FAST START, SLOW FINISH: So far this season AIC has scored the opening January 2 Army* W, 3-2 (OT) goal of the game in four contests even holding two-goal leads on a pair of 3 ARMY* L, 3-4 occasions. But they are being outscored 16-2 in the second period so far this 9 RIT* T, 3-3 (OT) season. The Jackets have scored six goals in both the first and third periods as 10 RIT* L, 2-3 16 Robert Morris* L, 3-5 they have started fast and finished fast, but have been unable to adjust to the 17 Robert Morris* L, 4-9 second period. 23 AIR FORCE* L, 1-2 (OT) 24 AIR FORCE* L, 2-6 30 SACRED HEART* T, 4-4 (OT) ROAD WARRIORS: AIC has already traveled over 10,000 miles this season with 31 SACRED HEART* T, 2-2 (OT) trips to UNH, Alaska and Penn State and all told the Jackets will travel 18,758 February 6 MERCYHURST* L, 1-3 miles this season for road contests. So it’s nice to be home for this weekend 7 MERCYHURST* L, 2-5 set. 13 Air Force* L, 3-9 14 Air Force* L, 1-3 27 ARMY* W, 4-0 28 Army* L, 1-5 2015-16 March 6 Air Force+ L, 1-6 Atlantic Hockey Standings 7 Air Force+ L, 3-10 Pl. Team Pts. AHA Overall BOLD = Home 1 Mercyhurst 8 4-0 5-1 * = Atlantic Hockey Contest += Atlantic Hockey Championship 2 Robert Morris 6 2-0-2 2-0-2 3 Sacred Heart 2 1-0 2-1-1 Canisius 2 1-1 1-3 2015-16 Atlantic Hockey Holy Cross 2 1-1 1-4 Preseason Coaches Poll 6 Air Force 1 0-1-1 1-4-1 Niagara 1 0-1-1 0-3-1 Pl. Team FPV Points 8 RIT 0 0-0 0-4-1 1 Robert Morris 7 97 American Int’l 0 0-1 0-6 2 RIT 4 91 Bentley 0 0-2 2-2 3 Bentley 72 Army 0 0-2 0-3 4 Canisius 64 5 Sacred Heart 56 PRESEASON PICK: The head coaches of Atlantic Hockey 6 Holy Cross 55 picked the Yellow Jackets to finish 11th in the league. AIC totaled 10 7 Air Force 47 points, 19 behind the 10th picked, Army West Point. 8 Mercyhurst 46 9 Niagara 38 10 Army West Point 29 11 American International 10 2014-15 Ice Hockey Quick Facts Gary Wright Head Coach, 32nd Season, Vermont ’76 AIC Information Institution ............................................American International College Location.............................................................Springfield, MA 01109 Gary Wright is entering his 32nd season at the helm of the Founded ........................................................................................1885 Yellow Jacket ice hockey program. He is AIC’s all-time winningest coach, Enrollment ...................................................................................1,700 compiling a 306-583-73 record and is currently the longest tenured Division Athletic Affiliations .................................................NCAA Division II I hockey coach. ...............................................................NCAA Division I (ice hockey) President ................................................................Vincent M. Maniaci In 2013-14, Wright joined a select few NCAA Division I hockey coaches Director of Athletics .....................................................Matt Johnson by posting his 300th career win on Feb. 7 with a 2-1 win over Army. With Nickname .......................................................................Yellow Jackets Wright at the helm, the Yellow Jackets had several notable victories during Colors ...............................................................Gold, Black and White Arena (capacity) ........................................Olympia Ice Center (2,200) the 2013-14 campaign including a 3-2 victory over UMass and a 5-3 win Dimensions .............................................................................200’x85’ versus eventual Atlantic Hockey Association runner-up, Canisius.