ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College men’s hockey team jumped out to a 3-1 lead early in the second period, but host Nazareth College came back with five unanswered goals to deal the Valiants a 6-3 defeat in ECAC West Conference action on Friday night at Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex.
Freshman Casper Dyrssen (Stockholm, Sweden/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) had a good game to lead the Valiant offensive attack, scoring his first collegiate goal and adding an assist for the first two points of his career. Freshman Eric Berglund (Sollentuna, Sweden/Islanders Hockey Club (USPHL)) and sophomore Thimmy Garbenius (Nykvarn, Sweden/Sodertalje SK (SWE)) also scored for Manhattanville (9-8-1, 5-3-0 ECAC West), which still remains in second place in the conference despite the loss.
Defenseman J.R. Wojciechowski led Nazareth (6-9-4, 3-5-1 ECAC West) with a game-high three points, scoring twice and adding an assist, while four other Golden Flyers found the net as well.
Nazareth struck first 2:36 into the game on Matt Manzella’s first of the year, but the next 20 minutes belonged to Manhattanville, as the visitors scored three times to take a seemingly commanding lead. Dyrssen evened the score with 3:41 remaining in the first period, and Berglund gave the Valiants a lead after 20 minutes with a power-play goal with 12 seconds left in the frame. Manhattanville held an 18-10 edge in shots at the intermission.
Garbenius made it a 3-1 lead 3:37 into the middle frame with his third of the year. The Valiants held that two-goal lead for much of the period, but Wojciechowski got his team back within one with 2:47 left in the period to make it a 3-2 game headed into the third.
The third period belonged entirely to the Golden Flyers, as the home team scored four times on only 10 shots to steal the game. Nazareth scored three times in the first 6:17 to take control, with Oliver Janzen knotting the score at 1:52 and Wojciechowski netting the eventual game-winner at the 4:30 mark.
Nazareth outshot Manhattanville 24-14 over the final 40 minutes to finish the game with a slight 34-32 edge in shots. Ed Zdolshek earned the win by making 29 saves on 32 shots, while Valiant sophomore Kyle Redmond (Toronto, Ont./Northfield Mount Hermon) suffered the loss by ceding all six goals in addition to making 28 saves.
The Valiants and Golden Flyers will complete their two-game weekend series tomorrow, when the two teams face off again in Rochester beginning at 4 p.m.
