Sacred Heart vs. American International
Feb. 2, 2023 - 7:05 p.m.
MassMutual Center - Springfield, Mass.
Feb. 4, 2023 - 7 p.m.
Martire Family Arena - Fairfield, Conn.
FloSports TV
It's Atlantic Hockey play the rest of the way for the Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team, beginning with an important two-game, home-and-home set with American International on Thursday and Saturday. The second- and third-place teams in the AHA, respectively, the Pios and Yellow Jackets have four meetings in the month of February, which will likely go a long way towards determining which squad finishes in front of the other.
Catch all the action on FloHockey, with both games slated for 7 p.m. starts. Seth Dussault has the call at AIC on Thursday, while Randy Brochu and Freddie Coleman bring you the action on Saturday from the Martire Family Arena.
LAST TIME OUT
It was a game which alternated sleepy stretches with bursts of action on Saturday afternoon, as SHU squared off with Yale in the third-place game of the CT Ice tournament, hosted by Quinnipiac. The Pios used three goals in a span of 3:35 on either side of the second intermission to build a 4-1 lead, and then held on down the stretch for a 4-3 victory. Hunter Sansbury had a goal and an assist and blocked four shots, to land on the All-Tournament Team, while Brandon Milberg made his first collegiate start and stopped 26 shots to win.
A LOOK AT THE PIOS
SHU (13-10-2, 11-4-2 AHA) puts a six-game Atlantic Hockey unbeaten streak (5-0-1) on the line this weekend, which dates to the back end of a split with Bentley at the end of November. Since then, the red and white swept Mercyhurst, shutout Army in a midweek contest, and went 1-0-1 in a weekend set against Holy Cross. The Pios sport the nation's third-best penalty kill, at 87.8% (65-for-74). Neil Shea is tied-eighth in the AHA in points (7-13-20), while Conner Hutchison is tied-sixth in assists (14).
SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS
AIC (13-10-5, 10-6-2 AHA) is 3-3-1 coming out of the semester break, including 2-1-0 in Atlantic Hockey. The Yellow Jackets had last weekend off, after splitting a pair on the road at Mercyhurst on Jan. 20-21. Blake Bennett popped the overtime winner on a penalty shot with two seconds to play in Saturday's game, to make sure AIC came home with the split. Special teams have been the name of the game for the Springfield icers, as they boast the AHA's best power play at 23.6% (29-for-123) and rank fourth on the penalty kill at 82.8% (82-for-99). The Yellow Jackets are top-20 in the country in both categories.
LAST MEETING
The two sides have not crossed paths in over a calendar year, since the Yellow Jackets came to Bridgeport and swept a two-game series at Harbor Yard on Jan. 21-22, 2022, by scores of 4-2 and 3-1. Brian Kramer and Jake Stella each scored in both games for AIC.
ALL-TIME SERIES
SHU and AIC have been conference mates since the MAAC Hockey days, and have clashed 70 times, in a series that dates back to 1994. Sacred Heart holds a slight advantage all-time, with a 34-28-8 mark, which includes a 26-21-6 record in Atlantic Hockey play. The Pios are a single game above .500 on the road against AIC all-time, at 18-17-5 over 40 contests. In nine meetings at the downtown Springfield arena, the Yellow Jackets hold a 5-4-0 advantage. AIC has won the last three meetings and 10 of the last 13 between the two teams, dating to November of 2017.
STAYING OUT OF TROUBLE
The easiest way to avoid giving up power-play goals? Don't take penalties to begin with! The Pios are Atlantic Hockey's most-disciplined team, and the fifth least-penalized team in the country, averaging just 8.24 penalty minutes per game. Even when they do go to the sin bin, the team is not giving up much, as SHU boasts Atlantic Hockey's best penalty kill, and is tied-third nationally, at 87.8% (65-for-74).
