ANNVILLE, PA. – Three first-team selections highlighted seven members of the Manhattanville College women’s hockey team named to the 2018-19 All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) teams, as announced by the conference office Tuesday afternoon.
Junior forward Amanda Sabia (Freehold, N.J./The Gunnery) was named the conference’s co-Offensive Player of the Year and one of three Valiants named first team all-conference, joined by classmate Zoey Pellowitz (Arlington, Va./Washington Pride (JWHL)), the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, and senior forward Nicole Mensi (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Northwood School). Following a MAC Championship-winning season, head coach David Turco earned conference Coach of the Year recognition as well.
Senior goalie Rose Pijaca (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Academy), junior defender Ali Howard (Rye, N.Y./Rye), junior forward Janet Xu (Edmonton, Alta./Ontario Hockey Academy) and sophomore forward Tianna Lopes (West Vancouver, British Columbia/Pacific Steelers (JWHL)) were all named second team All-MAC, rounding out Manhattanville’s representation.
A two-time MAC Offensive Player of the Week, Sabia recorded eight goals and five assists in the eight MAC games during the season, including a hat trick in the season-opening 6-2 road win over Stevenson Nov. 2. Sabia finished the regular season with career highs in goals (16) and assists (10).
A two-time MAC Defensive Player of the Week, Pellowitz recorded a goal and five assists (tied for fourth-most in a game in program history) in the season-opening win over Stevenson, then added two more goals and four more assists in the final five MAC games. Pellowitz finished the regular season with career highs in assists (17) and points (22).
Mensi, last year’s MAC co-Offensive Player of the Year, finished the regular season with 17 goals and 13 assists, six of those and five of those assists coming in MAC contests, including the game-tying goal late in the third period of a 3-3 tie with Stevenson Nov. 3.
Pijaca, an Honorable Mention All-MAC selection last season, finished this season with a 10-7-2 record, going 3-0-1 in four MAC starts. Her 1.82 goals against average and .929 save percentages during the regular seasons were both career bests. Howard enjoyed a breakout junior season, recording a career-best 13 assists and 15 points while blocking 37 shots. Xu finished the regular season with career highs in goals (five) and assists (12); two of her five goals wound up game-winners in MAC contests against Stevenson and Lebanon Valley, respectively. Lopes tripled her point total from her freshman season, totaling 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points, including four multi-goal games.
The All-Conference seven and the rest of the Valiants kick off postseason play Saturday, Feb. 23, when the fourth-seeded Valiants host the fifth-seeded Utica College Pioneers in the first round of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Tournament. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. from Playland Ice Casino.
