SHU can't protect lead, falls to AIC in hockey

BRIDGEPORT -- This one had to hurt. Sacred Heart's men's hockey team had its first two-goal lead of the season, and it had to kill only 14 minutes.

It couldn't do it. American International scored on a power-play rebound and a goal-mouth scramble to tie the Pioneers 2-2 Saturday at Webster Bank Arena.

"We finally got a little bit of a cushion with the two-goal lead," Pioneers coach C.J. Marottolo said. "The way this year has gone, we have a problem finishing games."

Friday at Army, Sacred Heart (0-9-2, 0-7-2 Atlantic Hockey) tied it twice only to give up a goal in the first minute of the third period and lose 3-2.

Saturday, Ben Lake beat a defenseman and scored 3:38 into the game. After AIC killed a long five-on-three to begin the third period, the Pioneers' Brian Sheehan scored off Eric Delong's feed to the front of the net at 5:55 of the third.

AIC scored three minutes later on a power play. With 6:43 to go, after the Yellowjackets regrouped after the Pioneers cleared the zone and re-entered just onside, Blake Peake finished off a scramble around Steven Legatto (35 saves).

"I thought we were actually going to clear the puck there," Marottolo said. "They got the bounce.

"We'll have a good week of practice and get ready for Princeton (Friday at Webster Bank Arena, 4 p.m.)."

mfornabaio@ctpost.com; http://twitter.com/fornabaioctp; http://blog.connpost.com/fornabaio

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 0 0 2 0--2

SACRED HEART 1 0 1 0--2

Records: American International 3-5-2, 0-3-2 Atlantic Hockey; Sacred Heart 0-9-2, 0-7-2

Scoring: AIC--Alexander MacMillan (1 goal), Blake Peake (1g), Chris Porter (1a), Steve Mele (1a), Jon Puskar (1a), Adam Pleskach (1a); SH--Ben Lake (1g), Brian Sheehan (1g), Matthew Solomon (1a), Eric Delong (1a); Goalies: AIC--Ben Meisner (37 saves); SH--Steven Legatto (35); Shots: AIC--37; SH--39