Sacred Heart vs. American International
Feb. 24, 2023 - 7 p.m.
MassMutual Center - Springfield, Mass.
Feb. 25, 2023 - 7 p.m.
Martire Family Arena - Fairfield, Conn.
FloSports TV

A regular season which started with 34 games on the slate is down to just two, and the two will decide second place in Atlantic Hockey. The Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team enters the final weekend of the season with a two-point edge for the second spot, over third-place American International, which just happens to be the opponent on the docket for the final two games.

It's a home-and-home series and Senior Night for both teams, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. both nights. Friday's game is in Springfield, with Saturday's regular-season finale to follow at Martire Family Arena. Fans can catch all the action live on FloHockey. Seth Dussault has the call for AIC on Friday night, with Paul Pacelli and Freddie Coleman taking to the air on Saturday at SHU.

LAST TIME OUT
It was perhaps as anti-climactic an overtime ending as anyone involved had ever seen on the road on Saturday night. Braeden Tuck's overtime winner went through two video reviews – the first to see if the puck crossed the line and the second via a Canisius challenge for goaltender interference – but ultimately the goal stood. SHU skated away with a 3-2 (OT) victory over Canisius and a much-needed two points in the Atlantic Hockey weekend finale at Harborcenter.

A LOOK AT THE PIOS
SHU (16-14-2, 14-8-2 AHA) has already clinched home ice in the quarterfinal round of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament, and had hoped to have second place locked up by now as well, but took just five of a possible 12 points from Air Force and Canisius over the past two weekends. A regulation win in either game this weekend would be enough to lock up the two-spot for the Pios, with other permutations available to get the job done as well. SHU heads into the final weekend of the season ranked third in Atlantic Hockey in both goals scored per game (3.06) and goals allowed per game (2.91).

SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS
Third-place AIC (16-12-6, 13-8-3 AHA) swept a pair at Air Force last weekend after collecting just two points from a home-and-home against ninth-place Bentley the weekend prior. A pair of victories, as long as both did not come in the shootout, would be enough to vault the Yellow Jackets into a second-place finish, with other options and potential tiebreaker scenarios possible as well. AIC sits second, one spot in front of SHU, in Atlantic Hockey in both goals scored per game (3.18) and goals allowed per game (2.59).

LAST MEETING
The pair split a home-and-home set just three weeks ago, with each winning on the other's home ice. Third-period goals from Daniel Ebrahim and Braeden Tuck lifted SHU to a 4-2 victory at AIC on Feb. 2, while the Yellow Jackets responded with a 4-1 win, including a pair of goals from Casey McDonald, at Martire Family Arena on Feb. 4.

ALL-TIME SERIES
The SHU vs. AIC all-time series dates all the way back to 1994 and spans 72 contests, as the two have been conference-mates since the dawn of MAAC Hockey in the 1998-99 season. The Pios hold a 35-29-8 advantage all-time against AIC, including a 27-22-6 edge in 55 Atlantic Hockey meetings. SHU is 16-12-3 all-time at home and 19-17-5 on the road against the Yellow Jackets. The two teams have split 10 all-time meetings (5-5-0) at MassMutual Center, while AIC took the first game between the two at Martire Family Arena earlier this month. The series has tightened considerably in recent years, with AIC holding a 11-4-0 edge over the last 15 meetings, dating to the start of the 2017-18 season.

GOING APPLE PICKING
On Feb. 19, goaltender Luke Lush ventured behind his net to corral the puck and dished it off for Hunter Sansbury. Sansbury then sprung Braeden Tuck on a breakaway for the overtime winner at Canisius. It was the second assist of the season for Lush, who also notched a third-period helper in a 5-1 win at Niagara on Oct. 22. The senior netminder has four assists in his career, with the other two coming in the same game, also against Niagara, in his debut season of 2019-20.