RUTLAND, VT – Junior Nicole Mensi (Mamaroneck, N.Y./SUNY Plattsburgh) recorded her second career hat trick and the program’s second hat trick of the season as the Manhattanville College women’s hockey team earned a 4-2 victory over SUNY Canton in the WSYB/Catamount Radio Invitational Saturday afternoon.
Mensi struck three times against UMASS Boston last March, while senior Sarah Sinning (Southold, N.Y./National Sports Academy) achieved the mark against Lebanon Valley on December 2.
Mensi wasted no time getting on the score sheet against the Kangaroos, scoring just 24 seconds in on the first shot of the game for either team off an assist from sophomore Ashley Lougheed (Vancouver, B.C./Pacific Steelers). Mensi struck again four and a half minutes later off an assist from sophomore Amanda Sabia (Freehold, N.J./The Gunnery), giving Manhattanville (5-3-1) a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period.
Sinning added her sixth goal of the season, and fifth in her last four games, 6:16 into the second period off a long pass from classmate Maeve O’Brien (Chicago, Ill./Chicago Fury), giving Manhattanville a 3-0 cushion. Canton (5-5-1) got on the board 2:37 after Sinning’s score, as Tess Adams beat junior goalie Rose Pijaca (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Academy) just inside the pipes.
Just 13 seconds into the 3rd period, Mensi completed her hat trick, taking a pass from sophomore Zoey Pellowitz (Arlington, Va./Washington Pride), then knocking one home past Canton goalie Brooke Susac, pushing the Valiants lead back to three goals. Sydney Jordan scored four and a half minutes for the Kangaroos, but that was as close as Canton got, as Pijaca made 11 of her 21 saves in the final period to preserve Manhattanville’s victory.
Mensi, who entered the team leader in both goals and points, finished the game with nine goals and 15 points for the season. Manhattanville’s win earned them a berth in the Invitational’s Championship Game against Castleton.
