AIC opens its Atlantic Hockey schedule Tuesday night against Holy Cross at the Olympia
American International College goalie Ben Meisner
There had been nights like this before for American International College senior hockey goaltender Ben Meisner, and they never ended well.
There was a 51-save night at Minnesota State his sophomore year, a 1-0 loss the first game after the semester break. He had also stopped 53 shots in a 5-1 defeat at powerful Union College last Oct. 29.
But probably the high-numbered save game that hurt the most occurred in the deciding contest of the best-of-three Atlantic Hockey playoff series last March 4 when the Yellow Jackets nearly upset Robert Morris. Meisner’s 54 saves weren’t enough, and it was a season-ending 4-3 heartbreaker in overtime.
But his next game would be last Friday night - a historic affair as it was the first ever Division I game for the Penn State University men’s hockey program. And given the turmoil of the last year, Penn State University probably felt real good about having a sport unrelated to football to start anew.
The Nittany Lions staged their opener at the on-campus Greenberg Ice Pavillion, a cozy facility that easily sold out to its 1,300 capacity.
And those who filed into the student section weren’t there to talk about Jerry Sandusky or Joe Paterno, they would eventually decide they were strategically gathered to make Ben Meisner miserable.
Misery loves company, but Meisner, a two-time Atlantic Hockey All-Academic team psychology major, declined the verbal invitations and variations, and enjoyed the finest night of his collegiate career. He made 61 saves, an Atlantic Hockey single-game record, and this time the Yellow Jackets won. Meisner made three saves in overtime, one on a point-blank breakaway that the 5-foot-11 native of Nova Scotia snagged with his glove as the crowd oohed and aahed.
Junior Jon Puskar scored with only 21 seconds remaining in overtime for the 3-2 victory.
“I was telling one of our other goaltenders today – I really couldn’t believe it. It was like a dream come true,” Meisner said. “I had been in so many games where I made over 50 saves, and had never won before.
“The atmosphere was tremendous. They were on me hard - heckling me. The student section was on the right and left of me, and the way the building is set up, they were right on top of me.”
If sound wasn’t enough, then there was the visual. Directly in Meisner’s view was the scoreboard shot total with the Penn State numbers rising as rapidly as a taxicab meter maneuvering through a traffic jam. As the night went along, he knew this wasn’t one of his ordinary efforts.
“For us to win that game was a big confidence booster for our team,” Meisner said. “The guys worked so hard.”
The Yellow Jackets fell 4-3 in overtime to the Nittany Lions the next night before 5,389 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Point in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., the home of the AHL Wilkes-Barre-Scranton Penguins. The atmosphere wasn’t as intimidating, more of a professional type of setting. And although it was a loss, the Jackets had come back from a 3-1 deficit to tie it and force the extra session.
Now with only two days off between games, the Yellow Jackets begin their Atlantic Hockey slate with their home opener against Holy Cross Tuesday night at 7 at the Olympia in West Springfield.
Meisner says Monday that he’s still a little sore from the 107-shot weekend, but that he’ll be ready for Holy Cross, a formidable foe that returns 17 players from their 20-win season of a year ago. Holy Cross has won the last seven meetings.
ON CAMPUS – Chelsea Hayes of the Western New England field hockey team was named the Commonwealth Coast Conference rookie of the week. She compiled two goals and two assists for the week with the two assists coming in a 6-3 victory over Smith. …Elms sophomore Rachel Lehouillier of Belchertown was picked as the New England Collegiate Conference runner of the week for cross country after she recorded her personal best time at the WNE Invitational. Also at Elms, senior field hockey goalkeeper Alexandra Bonavita of Agawam was the NECC player of the week (27 saves), and junior Adam O’Grady of Somers was the NECC men’s soccer player of the week (four goals). ...The AIC women's soccer team looks to extend its unbeaten string to 10 against Assumption Tuesday night at 7 at Abdow Field.