Photo Credit: Kelsey Lee-Violet Turtle Photography

Last year, AIC ended its season playing a North Dakota team unlike any Head Coach Eric Lang has ever faced. Now he gets to open up the 2021-2022 campaign in exhibition play on the road against a Boston College team, that as Lang does not think he will see anything comparable to all season.

As Lang said of the Eagles “Boston College’s speed and swagger are their best assets. They can make plays from anywhere. I’m not quite sure we will see a team like them at any point in our regular season. It’s great to throw our guys in the deep end of the pool right away.”

Lang will dress five forward lines and eight defenders, and will get as much info on his new players as he can. As Lang said of the evening, and of getting info from it, relative to making lineup decisions, “we have historically leaned on returning players early in the season. They have more credit in the bank. It will be nice to get an evaluation on the young players in an exhibition game.”

AIC will get a unique opportunity in this exhibition, thanks to Boston College’s Legendary Head Coach, Jerry York. As Lang said of getting to prepare with three-on-three overtime and a shootout regardless of score “Jerry called and wants to do a 3 v 3 and a shootout which is a great idea and experience for our kids early on. Ironically in 2 years we have only been involved in one shootout.”

Given how tight Atlantic Hockey is expected to be, as always every point matters, and practicing overtime against the Eagles will help Lang’s group prepare for the early gauntlet of teams they see in Providence, National Champions the University of Massachusetts, oh and their Atlantic Hockey opener against an always tough Army West Point group. This weekend is a chance for Lang and his staff to see their group against another team, it will give new players a chance to earn some credit and some time later on, and it will help the Yellow Jackets prepare for the gauntlet of a schedule they face early on.

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