WORCESTER, Mass. – The No. 20 Holy Cross men's ice hockey team defeated AIC, 3-2, Saturday night at the Hart Center Rink to force a winner takes all game three.
 
Holy Cross moves to 20-13-2 on the season with the win, while AIC moves to 13-21-2 with the loss. The quarterfinal series stands at 1-1.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Senior Liam McLinskey got the Crusaders on the board just under five minutes into the opening period with a power play strike. Receiving a pass from junior Mack Oliphant, freshman Matt Kursonis took the puck up the ice and around the offensive zone before sending a shot on net. McLinskey, alone on the far post, grabbed the rebound off the AIC netminders' pads, sending it into the top corner of the goal for the score.
• Finding themselves on the penalty kill with just under nine minutes to play in the first period, Oliphant extended the Crusaders' lead to 2-0 with a shorthanded strike. Forcing a turnover, McLinskey poked the puck ahead to junior Michael Abgrall, who found himself on a two-on-one with Oliphant. Faking the shot, Abgrall forced the Yellowjackets' netminder to commit to him before sending the pass across to Oliphant for the tap into the empty net.
• AIC got on the board thirty seconds later, before tying the game at 2-2 3:28 into the second period.
• Sophomore Jack Stockfish proved to be the hero with 3:41 remaining in regulation, tapping the loose puck that the AIC goaltender thought was in his pads into the back of the net.
• Holy Cross would go on to kill just under two minutes of six-on-five play to hold on for the one-goal win.

 
BEYOND THE BOX:

• Senior Thomas Gale recorded 27 saves in the contest.
• Holy Cross held AIC to just three shots in their five power play opportunities, improving their NCAA-leading penalty kill to 91.6%.
• Kursonis led both sides with 16 faceoff wins, followed closely by Stockfish, who recorded 15. The Crusaders dominated at the dot as a unit, winning 42 of the 67 draws.

 
UP NEXT:

• The two teams will meet again tomorrow, Sunday, March 9 at 5 p.m. for the winner-takes-all deciding game three.
• Tickets are available for purchase now!

 
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