Box Score (West Springfield, MA) – Steven Legatto (Kelowna, BC) made 45 saves and four different Pioneers scored, as the Sacred Heart Men's Hockey team snapped a ten-game losing streak to earn their first Atlantic Hockey Association win of the year with a 4-1 victory against the AIC Yellow Jackets at Olympia Ice Center.
Drew George (Regina, SK) gave SHU the game's first lead, ripping one-timer under the crossbar for a goal that was reviewed before counting. Matt Gingera (Winnipeg, MB) found him with the pass for his 92nd career point, with Eric Delong (Oakville, MB) earning the secondary assist. SHU took that 1-0 lead into the first intermission after killing three first-period AIC power plays.
The Pioneers made it 2-0 on a breakaway goal by Anthony Yellovich (Little Falls, NJ) at 11:55 of the second. Jordan Ciccarello (New Hartford, CT) hit him with a stretch pass from deep in the defensive end, which Yellovich gloved down at the blue line to move in for a backhand goal.
Ben Ketchum (Greenwich, CT) made it 3-0 SHU 51 seconds into the third, moving through open ice after AIC defenseman Steven Horshaw fell down to give him a breakaway goal on a wrist shot, with Reid MacLeod (Teulon, AB) and Ben Lake (Calgary, AB)assisting.
Legatto made a number of difficult saves in the following minutes, including perhaps his best of the year with a glove save on a high backhander by Adam Pleskach off a rebound while still sitting down in the crease. AIC eventually did solve him on a goal by Matt Cassidy, with Steve Mele and Nathan Sliwinski assisting, at 14:10.
However, Chad FIlteau (Regina, SK) regained a three-goal lead for SHU, also getting a breakaway when Yellow Jacket defenseman Rob Blanchette fell down at the blue line, stick-handling to open the five hole. Ketchum and Chris Bailer (Red Deer, AB) assisted at 17:25. Chris Markiewicz scored with 11 seconds left for AIC with an extra attacker and a SHU man in the box.
The Pioneers host the Yellow Jackets Saturday night in a rematch at the Milford Ice Pavilion at 7:05 pm.
