American International College hockey team finds new success

Click here to read Dick Baker's story on The Repbulican website.

On and off the ice, things are happening around the American International College hockey team.

A freak accident at home has shelved head coach Gary Wright for an undetermined amount of time.

The incident involved a garage door coming down on him, ripping the tendons off the bones of both quadriceps muscles.

Although he is just starting to be able to bend his knees without any weight, he managed with the aid of braces and a walker to make it to the Olympia last Friday to watch the home opener against Holy Cross while assistant coach Mike Field ran the bench. And Wright, who probably is at least a few weeks away from being able to even go behind the bench, had to be a happy although uncomfortable spectator.

The Yellow Jackets stunned a good Holy Cross team 3-0 for their first win of the season, and did so with some new found support in the seats and fresh talent on the ice.

Junior Lauren Silva, the president of the Student Athlete Advisory Council, was busy opening pizza boxes at a table outside Rink One between periods. The slices were being served for a busload of AIC students who were all wearing brand new yellow shirts that identified them as the “Swarm.” The Swarm sat together at the end of the rink where the Jackets shot twice, encouraging the team throughout its terrific performance.

Meanwhile, former AIC goaltender Donnie Moorhouse, the longtime play-by-play voice of UMass hockey whose return there this year was only blocked because of contractual conflict concerns, was up in the press box doing the Yellow Jackets game on 91.9 FM.

Silva, who plays on the field hockey team and has also played lacrosse at AIC, is a marketing major looking for a career in athletics. Already, she represents the Northeast-10 at NCAA meetings. Chris Mercurio, the director of campus recreation, said that he hopes to have the Swarm back for future selected hockey games as well as participate on campus at other athletic events. It’s something that was tried a few years ago.

The Yellow Jackets followed up their Friday win by gaining a good 4-4 tie the next night in a rematch against the Crusaders at Worcester. Although AIC is 1-3-1 overall, two of the losses were non-league games, and one was a closer than expected 3-2 defeat at RPI – a program that was voted to have the ninth best recruiting class in the country.

AIC had several players who stood out Friday night with the most impressive coming from the freshman and sophomore classes. Those include the first two line centers – sophomore Nielsson Arcibal and Richard Leitner; freshman right wing Adam Pleskach, who already has five goals; and 6-foot-3 sophomore winger Mike Penny, who had 15 points as a freshman. Sophomore Steve McLeod had the first goal Friday, and Mike McMillan chipped in to represent the seniors with a short-handed goal to make it 2-0.

Fourth-line junior center Greg Vatrano, of East Longmeadow, was a pest as a forechecker, junior Mike Little, of Enfield, was a steady defender, and freshman goaltender Ben Meisner was as poised as a senior in registering the shutout. Junior Dan Ramirez made 42 saves in the Saturday night tie.

AIC has three consecutive road games, two this weekend with Connecticut, before coming home for five straight at the Olympia starting Nov. 14 against Army.