RYE, N.Y. – The fourth-seeded Manhattanville College men’s hockey team could not hold a pair of one-goal leads in the opening two periods, as fifth-seeded Elmira College outscored the Valiants in the third period to steal a 4-3 victory in the first round of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference Tournament on Wednesday night at Playland Ice Casino.
Elmira (14-9-3) advances to Saturday’s semifinals with the win, where the Soaring Eagles will face off with second-seeded Stevenson University.
Junior Axel Walltott (Stockholm, Sweden/Varmdo HC J20 (SWE)) and freshman Taylor Bommarito (Sterling Heights, Mich./Charlotte Rush (USPHL)) paced Manhattanville (12-9-5) with a goal and an assist each, while junior Jared Martin (Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask./Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL)) also scored for the home team. Elmira’s potent top line combined for three of its four goals, with Connor Powell scoring two and assisting on another to lead the visitors.
Manhattanville controlled play for much of the opening period, generating quality chances and keeping the Soaring Eagles in their own end for prolonged stretches. The pressure did not pay off until the first power play of the game, when Bommarito potted his 10th goal of the year – and team-leading seventh man-up tally – with 1:02 left in the frame.
Elmira evened the score early in the second stanza on its first power-play chance of the night, but the Valiants responded with exactly 9:00 to go when Martin tipped home a shot from the point by Walltott to put Manhattanville ahead again. However, Powell scored his first of the night at the 15:51 mark to send the game to the third period knotted at two.
Powell gave Elmira its first lead of the night on the opening shift of the final frame, but the Valiants cashed in again on the power play later in the period, thanks to Walltott rushing the net and putting home the rebound of a Bommarito attempt at the 8:59 mark. However, the Soaring Eagles’ fourth line contributed to the game-winner less than 90 seconds later, as Chris Moses poked a puck past an onrushing Tyler Feaver (Whitby, Ont./Whitby Fury (OJHL)) and somehow got it into the net for the go-ahead score.
Manhattanville put the pressure back on Elmira after the goal, going on the power play and firing seven shots toward the net of Gennaro Anzevino, including a shot by junior Oscar Arfelt (Stockholm, Sweden/Connecticut Oilers (EHL)) that rang off the crossbar – the Valiants’ third hit post of the evening. The Valiants pulled Feaver in the final minute in an attempt to knot the score, but Anzevino denied all three shots with the extra attacker to preserve the win.
The Valiant power play did its job on the night, scoring twice on four chances, while the penalty kill allowed a goal on its only man-down situation. Anzevino made 31 saves to earn the win, while Feaver finished with 30 saves for the Valiants.
