SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Defenseman Tanner Jago (Brandon, Manitoba/Portage) scored the tying goal with 3:09 left in the 3^rd period as Bentley and AIC fought to a 2-2 tie on Tuesday night at the Mass Mutual Center in an Atlantic Hockey game.

Jago's goal, a slap shot from inside the left face-off circle, knotted the game at 2-2 after AIC took the lead 4:07 into the 3^rd period. Neither team could break the deadlock in overtime.

Bentley jumped out to the early lead on Kyle Schmidt's (Menomonee Falls, Wisc./Sioux City) goal just 3:45 into the contest. Center Max French (West Kelowna, B.C./West Kelowna) chased down the puck behind the net, and fed a short pass to Andrew McDonald, who was behind the net as well. McDonald spotted Schmidt in front of the net and hit him with a quick pass, which Schmidt one-timed past AIC goalie Zacharias Skog to light the lamp.

AIC though knotted it up 1-1 with a power play goal from freshman winger Dominik Florian at the 14:45 mark. Center Shawn McBride set the goal up with a slap shot from the left wing that Florian got his stick on and deflected in in front of the net.

Both teams had some good scoring chances in the 2^nd period. Bentley's best chance came from freshman Jonathan Desbiens (Montreal, Quebec/West Kelowna). Freshman defenseman Tanner Salsberry (Cypress, Texas/Jersey Hitmen) hit him with an outlet pass from the neutral zone that sprung Desbiens for a breakaway. However, Skog denied his backhander with a pad save to keep the game tied.

Early in the 3^rd period AIC grabbed a 2-1 lead on a goal by left wing Blake Christensen. Center Bryant Christian won a battle for the puck in the corner and fed a centering pass to an open Christensen in the slot. Christensen hesitated to create an opening, and fired from close range to give the Yellow Jackets the lead at the 4:07 mark.

Bentley went on the power play for the first time at 8:27 for a tripping call on AIC, but the extra man opportunity lasted just 1:16 after the Falcons were whistled for slashing in the offensive zone.

AIC went on the power play with just over 7:00 minutes remaining, but Bentley had two excellent shorthanded shots on goal denied by Skog. First freshman Jake Kauppila (Gurnee, Ill./Trail) had a shot blocked by Skog, then defenseman Mike Berry (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood) had his rebound attempt saved.

The tying goal though came just minutes later. French operated at the point and fed Jago inside the left face-off circle. Jago blasted a slap shot to the near post that beat Skog to tie the game 2-2 with 3:09 remaining.

In overtime, shots on goal were 2-1 for Bentley. Falcons goalie Jayson Argue (Swan River, Manitoba/Nanaimo) ended the night with 29 saves.

These two teams will be back at it on Thursday night at the Mass Mutual Center in the series finale.