RYE, N.Y. – The Valiants saw their win streak snapped at five games as they dropped a non-conference matchup to the Mustangs of Stevenson University 6-3 Saturday evening at Playland Ice Casino.
Senior Lindsay Diot (Bethel, Conn./Boston Shamrocks) and junior Cassie Kent (Lake Placid, NY/Northwood) added two points on two assists each in the loss, and juniors Sarah Sinning (Southold, N.Y./National Sports Academy) and Melissa Stys (Pequannock, N.J./The Kent School) along with sophomore Morgan Wilm (West Chester, Pa./Millbrook Mustangs) were the goal scorers for Manahttanville. Between the pipes, freshman Taylor Elias (Winnipeg, Canada/Canadian International Hockey Academy) stopped 19 shots but the Mustang offense converted on several opportunities to find the back of the net six times.
After a slow-paced opening 12 minutes, the final eight minutes of action in the first period featured five goals, three belonging to the home squad. Stevenson jumped on the board first on a goal from Allyson Barlow to make it 1-0 in favor of the green and black. Manhattanville responded just 22 seconds later when sophomore Morgan Wilm (West Chester, Pa./Millbrook Mustangs) deflected home a Diot shot from the point to level the scoring. The Mustangs retook the lead at the 5:42 mark when Cierra Siemasko stole a pass in the offensive end and put home her own rebound after Elias stopped the initial shot attempt to make it 2-1. It was the Valiants however late in the frame when junior Sarah Sinning (Southold, N.Y./National Sports Academy) made a beautiful deke around a Mustang defender and buried a shot inside the right post to tie the game before fellow classmate Melissa Stys (Pequannock, N.J./The Kent School) banked in a centering pass off the skate of Darosa 11 seconds later to give the Valiants the 3-2 edge at the first intermission.
It was all Stevenson in the second frame however, as the Mustangs tacked on three goals to take a two-goal lead into the second intermission. Chelsea Blackburn tied the game with her team-best seventh goal of the year, deflecting home a shot from Natalie Rosendahl. Chelsea Ellis gave the visitors the lead when she went top shelf off a rebound from a Cierra Siemasko shot from the right wing. Monica Pozuc capped off the scoring when she buried a no-look pass from Blackburn in front of the net for the 5-3 difference heading into the locker room for the final time.
In the third the Valiants had several opportunities, as the forecheck caused several opportunities in the offensive end but Darosa stood tall in goal for the Mustangs, stopping all 12 shots by Manhattanville in the final frame. Blackburn put home an empty-netter from the neutral zone to make it 6-3 Mustangs as they would hold on for the same final score.
Manhattanville will round out the 2016 calendar when they travel to Amherst and Williams next weekend, with both games starting at 7:00 pm.
