RYE, N.Y. – Sophomore Stephen Gaul (Downers Grove, Ill./Springfield Pics (USPHL)) led all players with two goals and an assist as the offense kept coming for the Manhattanville College men’s hockey team on Saturday night with a 6-1 victory over Daniel Webster College in non-conference action at Playland Ice Casino.
After tying its season-high goal total from a year ago last night, Manhattanville (2-0-0) out-did that tonight in the second game of the season, scoring once in the second period and four times in the third to finally put away a pesky Daniel Webster (0-2-0) squad. In addition to Gaul’s three-point night, sophomores Charlie Ryde (Stockholm, Sweden/Flemingsbergs IK J20 (SWE)) and Thimmy Garbenius (Nykvarn, Sweden/Sodertalje SK (SWE)) posted two-point evenings while freshmen Jeff Beck (Broomall, Pa./Philadelphia Junior Flyers (EHL)) and Cory Anderson (Bakersfield, Calif./Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL)) both scored as well.
Beck opened the scoring less than two minutes into the contest with his first collegiate tally, taking a pass from junior Adam Platt (Trumbull, Conn./Springfield Jr. Pics (USPHL)) and picking the top corner for his first career score. But the Eagles did not go away, tying the game on Clay Plyler’s first career goal at the 14:40 mark and holding the Valiants off for the remainder of the frame.
The middle frame was scoreless for nearly 14 minutes before Gaul got Manhattanville back on top at the 13:54 mark, picking up a DWC turnover and beating goalie Morgan Hudson one-on-one for his first of the year.
The game was still close headed into the third period, but Manhattanville cashed in with four power-play goals to put the game away. Three of those man-up goals came on a five-minute man advantage, beginning with Gaul’s second of the night 96 seconds into the period. Ryde followed with his second in two games at 3:16 of the frame, and then Anderson lit the lamp for the second night in a row as well to conclude the three-goal barrage.
Garbenius put the icing on the game in the final minute, scoring the first goal of his collegiate career again on the power play to complete the victory.
Manhattanville ended the night 4-for-7 on the man advantage, giving the team five man-up goals in the first two games of the season. The Valiant penalty kill was also strong, killing off all six Daniel Webster man-up opportunities.
Senior Kurt Williams (Rocky Mountain House, Alta./Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL)) picked up the victory for Manhattanville in his first action of the season, turning aside 16 of the 17 shots he faced. Hudson made 32 saves in a losing effort for the Eagles.
Manhattanville will look to keep the offense rolling next weekend, when the team begins ECAC West Conference play starting on Friday at 7 p.m. at defending conference champion Hobart College.
