Boxscore

PINE VALLEY, N.Y. – Despite holding a 43-23 advantage in total shots, the sixth-ranked Manhattanville men's hockey team could not hold onto a late lead and allowed a pair of third-period tallies in dropping a 2-1 decision to #12 Elmira College in both teams' ECAC West Conference opener on Friday night at a packed Murray Athletic Center.

It was a frustrating evening for the Valiants, who were returning to the place in which they defeated Elmira for the ECAC West Tournament Championship nine months prior. The visitors outshot the home team by at least five in all three periods, including 15-5 in the opening frame, and yet could only get one puck past Elmira netminder Darren MacDonald, who made 42 saves.

Manhattanville nearly left the first period without a goal despite its 15 shots, but junior assistant captain Evan Michalchuk (Edmonton, Alta.) made sure the visitors went into the intermission with a lead by netting his second of the year with 60 seconds left in the frame. The assist on the score, which came while the teams skated four-on-four, went to freshman Marc Zanoni (Lethbridge, Alta.), the first point of his collegiate career.

The Valiant special teams also played a big role in the team entering the first intermission with a lead, as the unit killed off four Elmira power-play chances in the frame, including 36 seconds of five-on-three time midway through the period.

The Valiants continued to keep the Soaring Eagles at bay in the second period, as junior netminder Pierre-Olivier Lemieux (Rimouski, Que.) stopped all seven shots he faced. Four of those shots came on the lone Elmira power play of the period.

The visiting team attempted to hold off the home team in the third period, taking a game-high 16 shots in the frame, but Elmira finally broke through at the 11:07 mark on a score by Rick Schrank. After his score, it looked as if the teams would be headed for overtime, but with 59 seconds remaining in regulation Kevin Willer found a way through Lemieux for the game-winning score, assisted by Darcy Vaillancourt and Brendan Sanders.

Despite suffering the loss, Lemieux played well in goal for Manhattanville and made 21 saves on the night, 12 of which came on Elmira power plays. MacDonald was the hero of the game for Elmira by making 42 stops to earn the win.

The Valiant penalty kill was excellent all night long, holding Elmira scoreless in seven man-up opportunities and allowing the visitors to stay in the game. The Elmira penalty kill was also perfect, however, as the Valiants went 0-for-5 with the man advantage.

#6 Manhattanville (2-1-0, 0-1-0 ECAC West) has little time in which to recover, as the Valiants are back in action tomorrow night at 7 p.m. when the team takes on conference rival Hobart College in Geneva. That game will be broadcasted live as an audio stream on WMVL 88.1 FM starting at approximately 6:50 p.m. Elmira (2-2-0, 1-0-0 ECAC West) will take on Utica College tomorrow at 7 p.m.