{"id":142953,"date":"2023-10-25T10:00:38","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T15:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/?p=142953"},"modified":"2023-10-24T19:22:41","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T00:22:41","slug":"this-week-in-atlantic-hockey-after-upsetting-penn-state-american-international-aiming-to-want-and-need-results-going-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/2023\/10\/25\/this-week-in-atlantic-hockey-after-upsetting-penn-state-american-international-aiming-to-want-and-need-results-going-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"This Week in Atlantic Hockey: After upsetting Penn State, American International aiming to ‘want and need results’ going forward"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nils Wallstrom has been sharp in net so far this season for AIC (photo: AIC Athletics).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

American International has been on the wrong end of three close games to open their 2023-24 campaign — and one not so close — but last weekend, the Yellow Jackets flipped the script, picking up their first win of this young season.<\/p>\n

Eric Lang’s team opened with a 5-3 loss to Massachusetts that saw AIC make it a one-goal game in the third after falling behind 4-1.<\/p>\n

Up next was a two-game series with defending national champion Quinnipiac. AIC couldn’t hold the lead and fell 3-2 in overtime the first night, and round two was an 8-0 blowout at the hands of the Bobcats.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to last weekend, another two-game series, this time at Penn State.<\/p>\n

Friday was a familiar story: another close game, another lead lost, and ultimately another defeat, 3-2 on a late goal.<\/p>\n

But while Saturday was a familiar story, there was a different ending.<\/p>\n

The Yellow Jackets raced out to 4-1 lead, saw Penn State knot it at 4-4 with under four minutes to play, but eventually got the break that had eluded them through their first four games.<\/p>\n

Casey McDonald’s highlight-reel goal 93 seconds later put AIC back in front, and the Yellow Jackets sealed it with an empty-net goal to win 6-4.<\/p>\n

That broke the Nittany Lions’ nonconference winning streak of 20 games dating back to Oct 8, 2021. It also broke a 23-game winning streak by Penn State against Atlantic Hockey teams.<\/p>\n

Lang says there was some frustration in his team’s early games, but many positives.<\/p>\n

“We played some really good games, had three one-goal leads heading into the third period against NCAA-tournament caliber teams,” said Lang. “But at some point, players don’t want to hear about playing well (in losses), they want and need results.”<\/p>\n

On Saturday, they got some.<\/p>\n

“We squandered leads to get it to 4-4,” he said. “We needed somebody to make a play.”<\/p>\n

Sophomore forward Casey McDonald made that play, taking a beautiful feed from Dustin Manz and cutting through the Penn State defense for the game-winning goal.<\/p>\n

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YELLOW JACKETS \ud83d\udc1d <\/p>\n

AIC takes down No. 12 Penn State, 6-4.#NCAAHockey<\/a> x \ud83c\udfa5 @AIC_Hockey<\/a>
pic.twitter.com\/87bPlDoGiy<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) October 22, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n