Little signs with Falcons, returns to home of his alma mater

Date: 2/20/2015

SPRINGFIELD – It has been a homecoming for a former Yellow Jacket as the American Hockey League's Springfield Falcons, AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, have inked defenseman Mike Little, American International College Class of 2011, to a Professional Tryout Contract.

Little is happy for the opportunity at the AHL level, and particularly to be playing so close to his hometown and where he played college hockey; the native of Enfield, CT, said, “It's great to be back home and to play in front of a lot of friends and family.”

 He has already done well in two games for the local pro squad, starting in his first home game as a Falcon, a 2-1 overtime win over the Providence Bruins, Boston's AHL affiliate.

The Falcons are Little’s second AHL team this year; earlier this season he played in four games with the Charlotte Checkers, the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. He also played in three games with the Norfolk Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, last season.

In 40 ECHL games this season with the Florida Everblades, he has registered a 7-25-32 tally and a +22 rating. In his professional career, he has played in 225 ECHL games, ringing up a mark of 29-102-131, earning ECHL All-Rookie honors in the 2011-12 campaign for the Stockton Thunder and also appearing in the Kelly Cup Finals with Stockton.

Little wore an A for the Yellow Jackets in his senior season. He was a stalwart on the blue line for four years, posting marks of 5-27-32 in 133 games; he only missed two games his entire AIC career despite logging top pair minutes and being a primary penalty killer for the Yellow Jackets.

In his senior season, he helped lead AIC to an upset over the Army Black Knights in the Atlantic Hockey Championship Tournament.

“We are excited to hear that Mike is being presented this opportunity with the Springfield Falcons. He is a wonderful person and player, and he is one of the best defenseman I have coached at AIC. His work ethic, competitiveness, and commitment to the game are among his admirable attributes,” AIC head coach Gary Wright said. “The fact that he is from nearby Enfield and is now playing right down the street from his alma mater, is intriguing.”


The Falcons were downed by the Manchester Monarchs, 4-2, Feb. 13 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H.

Falcons goaltender Oscar Dansk turned away 25 of 29 shots. Monarchs goaltender Jean-Francois Berube stopped 23 of 25, while earning the victory.

The Monarchs opened scoring at the 4:54 mark of the first period and carried a 1-0 lead through the first intermission. Sean Backman received a pass from Nic Dowd and fed it across the slot to Nick Ebert. Ebert ripped a shot from the right point through traffic that beat Dansk for his fifth tally of the season.

Manchester extended their lead, starting just 3:30 into the second period. David Van der Gulik fed Jordan Weal at the blue line, who carried the puck into the Falcons’ zone. A cross-slot pass set up Zach O'Brien to light the lamp for the ninth time this season. Four minutes later, Manchester went up 3-0. Van der Gulik earned his second point of the contest when he one-timed a cross-crease pass past Dansk. Assists went to O’Brien and Weal.

Domenic Monardo put the Falcons on the board just before the halfway mark of the middle frame. Luke Adam fired a shot that was stopped by Berube, but picked up by Monardo for his eighth goal of the season and first since being recalled from the Reading Royals of the ECHL on Feb. 11. Adam Cracknell earned credit for the secondary assist.

Less than a minute later, Manchester took back their three-goal lead when Mike Richards chipped in on the power play with the help of Kevin Gravel and O’Neil.

With 2:22 remaining in the second, the Falcons struck again. Mike Hoeffel received a pass from Michael Chaput from the end boards. Hoeffel let off a shot from a sharp angle that slipped past Berube and stole one back for the Falcons. Kerby Rychel earned a point on the play.

The following night, the Falcons broke the Providence Bruins’ hearts with a 2-1 overtime win tonight to start the longest homestand at the MassMutual Center of the season.

Falcons goaltender Scott Munroe earned his fourth win with the Falcons, turning away 14 of 15 shots, the fewest shots on goal the team has allowed this season. Bruins goaltender Malcolm Subban stopped 29 of 31.

The Bruins were first to light the lamp, notching a tally at the 7:41 mark of the first period. Ryan Spooner skated the puck into the offensive zone and threw a cross-crease feed to Colin Stuart for a one-timer from the top of the right circle.

The Falcons evened the score halfway through the second period. Kerby Rychel won the face-off in the left circle and shot the puck back to Thomas Larkin at the blue line. Larkin fired a slap-shot past Subban for his fourth goal of the season and first since Nov. 16.

The teams remained knotted, 1-1, through regulation, forcing an overtime frame. During three-on-three play, Marko Dano put a shot on net that was blockered away. Dana Tyrell picked up the rebound and chipped it home at the 4:16 mark to give the Falcons a 2-1 victory.

Springfield was topped by the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 5-4, in overtime on Feb. 15.

The Falcons are now 29-18-5-0 and finish the two-game season series with the Phantoms with a 1-0-1-0 record. Despite the loss, the Falcons earned one point by making it to overtime and are tied for second place in the Northeast Division with 63 points.

Dansk turned away 18 of 23 shots, while his Phantoms counterpart, Rob Zepp, stopped 27 of 31.

The Phantoms were first on the board, lighting the lamp at the 7:10 mark of the first period. Taylor Leier chipped in a quick wrist shot top right corner to go up, 1-0. The assist went to Scott Laughton.

Springfield got on the board early in the second period. With a delayed penalty on the Phantoms, Dansk went to the bench to add an extra Falcons attacker. Brett Ponich fired a shot from the high slot that was redirected by Monardo for his ninth goal of the season at the 4:40 mark. Chaput grabbed a point for the secondary assist.

At the 6:07 mark, the Phantoms took back their lead when Jason Akeson sniped an unassisted shot from the top of the left circle. Lehigh Valley built on that lead just over a minute later. While on the power play, Brandon Manning received a pass from Leier and ripped a shot that went wide and hit off the end boards. Zack Stortini picked up the rebound and jammed it in off the post.

The Falcons stole one back on the man-advantage. Tynan fired a wrist shot that was stopped by Zepp, but the puck trickled through the five hole and across the goal line. Marko Dano earned credit for the helper, while Mike Little picked up his first American Hockey League point with the secondary assist.

However, the Phantoms were quick to build back their two-goal lead, which they carried into the second intermission. Stortini came crashing into the net just after the halfway mark and got the puck past Dansk for his second tally of the contest.

The Falcons came out strong in the third period and rallied back to force overtime. Luke Adam powered a shot from the right circle off assists from Little and Jaime Sifers 2:23 into the final 20 minutes.

With 6:06 remaining in the contest, Sifers knotted the score, 4-4. Sean Collins passed along the blue line to Sifers at the left point. Sifers one-timed the feed for his third goal of the season and first since Jan. 3. Yann Sauve earned credit for the secondary assist.

Just 24 seconds into the overtime period, Andrew Gordon picked a pass and scored on a breakaway, downing the Falcons, 5-4.

The Falcons are back in action on Feb. 20 when they battle the Hartford Wolf Pack at 7 p.m. at the MassMutual Center.