Box Score WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Sacred Heart men's hockey team extended its unbeaten streak to four games Saturday night, as the Pioneers and the AIC Yellow Jackets played to a 2-2 overtime tie at Olympia Ice Center Saturday night. Sophomore defenseman Erlich Doerksen (Toronto, Ont.) had a career-high two assists as Jordan Minello (Sweaburg, Ont.) scored his 11th goal of the season.
Sacred Heart (7-15-6, 6-10-6 AHC) scored first Saturday night. With the Pioneers on a 5-on-3 power play, Minello crashed the net for the rebound of a Zach Sabatini (Johns Creek, Ga.) shot and scored on AIC goaltender Alex Murray to make the score 1-0 at 12:21. The Yellow Jackets tied the game 1-1 at 17:38 of the first period when David Gandara forced a turnover in the Pioneers' zone and used some nifty stickhandling to get to the front of the net where he roofed a goal past Alex Vazzano (Trumbull, Conn.).
The Pioneers took back the lead late in the second period. Kory Kennedy (Midhurst, Ont.) deflected in a Ben Lake (Calgary, Alb.) shot at 18:43 to give Sacred Heart a 2-1 lead. Sacred Heart looked poised to win the game after outshooting AIC (3-18-7, 3-12-7 AHC) 28-18 in the first two periods, but the Yellow Jackets drew the game level at 13:08 of the third period. Johno May hit a cutting Austin Orszulak right in front of the Sacred Heart net for the game-tying goal. The two teams combined for five shots in the overtime, but neither team scored. Orszulak had a chance to win the game with 0:05 left in overtime, but Vazzano stopped the shot to keep the game tied.
Sacred Heart outshot AIC in each period for a 42-28 edge. The Pioneers were 1-for-6 on the power play, and held the Yellow Jackets scoreless on the man advantage four times. Vazzano made 26 saves while Murray had 40 for AIC.
The Pioneers host Air Force next weekend, Feb. 7-8, at Milford Ice Pavilion. The opening faceoff for both games is 7:05 p.m.
