Box Score Boxscore

RYE, N.Y. – Sophomore Luc Van Natter (Fort Erie, Ont./Aurora Tigers (OPJHL)) netted the game-tying goal with 6:02 remaining in the third period and the Manhattanville men's hockey team came a fraction of a second away from netting the game-winner in the final minute of regulation before settling for a 1-1 (OT) tie with Williams in non-conference action on Sunday afternoon at Playland Ice Casino.

The Thanksgiving break seemed to do wonders for Manhattanville on Sunday afternoon, as the Valiants came out and peppered the Williams net for 65 minutes in a battle of two teams receiving votes in the latest USCHO.com Division III National Poll. The Valiants fired 42 shots toward the Eph net and allowed just 29 to get to senior Pierre-Olivier Lemieux (Rimouski, Que./Neepawa Natives (MJHL)) at the other end; and yet, Williams senior Ryan Purdy kept the home team at bay for the first 53 minutes of the game and looked on his way to an improbable shutout.

That changed with just over six minutes remaining in regulation, when senior captain Evan Michalchuk (Edmonton, Alta./Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL)) won a faceoff back to the blue line for classmate Dillon O'Hara (Wallingford, Conn./South Kent School), whose shot from the line was tipped home in front by Van Natter for his third goal of the season.

The Valiants did not let up after the game-tying score, continuing to make Purdy make save after save. The home team looked to take the lead with less than a minute remaining in regulation when Michalchuk potted the rebound of a shot in front of the Eph cage, but the net was ruled to have been dislodged by Purdy on the initial attempt and the goal was waved off.

Williams also had a golden chance to win the game in the waning seconds of regulation, but Lemieux stoned Williams' Cody Skinner in the final second to send the game into extra time.

Lemieux finished the night with 28 saves, while Purdy turned aside 41 saves.

After a scoreless first period, the teams were even for most of the second stanza before the Ephs opened the scoring with less than a minute left in the second period. Nick Anderson capitalized on a giveaway in the neutral zone and went in all alone on a breakaway, beating Lemieux for his first of the year.

Manhattanville (1-3-1) will play its final ECAC West Conference game until late January on Friday night, as the Valiants return to Playland to host Utica at 7 p.m. in a matchup that will be video streamed live on GoValiants.TV beginning at 6:50 p.m. Williams (2-0-2) will travel to Tufts on Friday also at 7 p.m.