Photos Credit: Kelsey Lee-Violet Turtle Photography

For AIC, their mission is always beyond just winning their league. Every year Head Coach Eric Lang’s group wants to earn an at large spot in the NCAA tournament. Last year, his group had some losses in and out of conference that precluded that as an option. Tonight, against the Long Island University Sharks, this team found a way to put the game away in the second, scoring four goals to have five on the board before the Sharks could find any semblance of offense in the third.

As always, Lang’s group played well enough to win, but the long time bench boss found something to work on in their next game Tuesday night against Army West Point.

He said “ Our passing skating and execution was terrific. Our discipline not so much. I don’t like us taking our foot off the gas in the 3rd.”

As the game wore on, AIC had the pace of it for the most of it, yet a physical LIU team found ways to fight back.

Of Head Coach Brett Riley’s team, Lang said “ LIU is a really strong tough team. They are extremely well coached and structured. They are as good as any team in our league.”

The Sharks play a game similar to a lot of schools in Atlantic Hockey, and play physical first like one of the best teams in this league whom AIC will face in two short weeks, RIT. The more experience Lang’s group gets against physical teams, the better.

Tonight saw Lang rotating the lineup a bit, Dario Beljo made his collegiate debut as did Theo Angsved. Both players got to see a lot of ice time especially in the third. One other rookie had a nice night playing an elevated role in his fifth NCAA game, Alfred Lindberg. The Swedish forward put home his first college hockey goal and drove play centering John Lundy and Oscar Geschwind. Lang said of Lindberg “Alfie is a pro. He’s really consumed with getting better. He’s going to be a terrific player for. I’m happy he found the score sheet. This will propel him.”

Going forward Lang said two things about the game and what his group needs to do ahead of another three game week. “You have to win games in different ways. Tonight we had to be tough and tough on the puck. I thought we did that. We need to rest and recover quickly as we have a really big week.”

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