SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College men’s hockey team got goals from four different players as the Valiants knocked off #12/14 SUNY Potsdam in the first round of the Skidmore College Invitational, held on Saturday afternoon at the Skidmore City Rink.
Manhattanville (6-2-0) advances to tomorrow’s championship game, where the Valiants will face off with SUNY Cortland, who defeated host Skidmore by the same 4-2 score earlier in the day. SUNY Potsdam (6-2-0) will face Skidmore in the consolation game after suffering its second straight loss following six straight wins to start the year.
Senior Matt Coleman (Brentwood, N.Y./Springfield Pics (EJHL)), sophomore Charlie Ryde (Stockholm, Sweden/Flemingsbergs IK J20 (SWE)), and freshmen Jeff Beck (Broomall, Pa./Philadelphia Junior Flyers (EHL)) and Matt Lippa (Richmond Hill, Ont./Oakville Blades (OJHL)) all found the back of the net for the Valiants, who moved to 2-0 against nationally ranked teams this year. Freshman Eric Berglund (Sollentuna, Sweden/Islanders Hockey Club (USPHL)) had two assists for a game-high two points for Manhattanville as well in the win.
Ryde put Manhattanville ahead for good at the 7:32 mark of the opening period, scoring his fourth goal of the year from juniors Adam Platt (Trumbull, Conn./Springfield Jr. Pics (USPHL)) and Phil Dinner (Dallas, Texas/Connecticut Oilers (EJHL)). The team increased its lead with less than 10 seconds left in the period, when Coleman potted a power-play goal at 19:52 to cap a good first period that saw the Valiants outshoot Potsdam 14-6.
The Bears got on the board at 12:26 of the second period on Jake Rivera’s second of the year, but Manhattanville responded less than four minutes later on the third of the season from Lippa to regain a two-goal advantage headed into the third period.
Beck continued his recent hot streak with his team-leading fifth goal of the year at 10:50 of the final frame, giving Manhattanville a 4-1 lead.
Freshman Tyler Feaver (Whitby, Ont./Whitby Fury (OJHL)) allowed a power-play goal late in the third period, but still remained undefeated on the year by turning aside 25 shots. Manhattanville also remained unbeaten when scoring more than one goal in a game, having scored at least four goals in all six of the team’s victories in 2015.
