RYE, N.Y. – The Valiant offense connected for six goals Friday afternoon as Manhattanville College women’s ice hockey defeated New England College 6-0 in a New England Hockey Conference matchup.
Senior Kyra Herbert (Plainfield, N.H./Lebanon) scored twice and freshman Rose Pijaca (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Academy) recorded her third shutout of the season and picked up her first career assist in the win. Pijaca made 12 saves in the win, and added the second assist on Manhattanville’s second goal scored by sophomore Jennifer Machin (Brunswick, ME/North Yarmouth Academy).
The Valiants (8-14-0 overall, 8-14-0 NEHC) jumped ahead in the first period when Herbert netted her team-leading eighth goal of the season on the power play, batting a puck out of the air to beat Lindsey Powers. Manhattanville held New England (8-13-1 overall, 3-9-1 NEHC) without a shot in the opening period. The Valiants overall outshot the Pilgrims 30-3 in the period, with 11 Manhattanville shots finding the target, while keeping Pijaca untested in the opening frame.
Manhattanville’s offense would come alive in the second period, with Machin putting the Valiants up by two goals before sophomore Maeve O’Brien (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy) scored her first goal of the season just 23 seconds later. Late in the period, Herbert would net her second goal of the game, this time beating Ashley Castriotta on the breakaway to put the Valiants up by four goals heading into the final intermission.
The Valiants would once again strike on the power play in the final period of play, when freshman Kat Reilly (Holbrook, N.Y./Boston Shamrocks (JWHL)) scored her seventh goal of the season, beating Castriotta with a knuckling shot on a rebound to make it a five-goal game. In her first game back from injury, sophomore Sarah Sinning (Southold, NY/National Sports Academy) added an empty-net goal in the final minute to give Manhattanville the 6-0 win.
Manhattanville picks up two points with the win and now has 12 points in conference play this season. The Valiants will look to pick up another crucial win tomorrow when they travel to Franklin Pierce University as they look to catch Salve Regina University in the conference standings. That game is scheduled for 3:00 P.M.
