Box Score Box Score

RYE, N.Y. – Sophomore Brian Elser (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./Bay State Breakers (EJHL)) and junior Brendan Turner (Tisdale, Sask./Lloydminster Bobcats (AJHL)) combined for four of Manhattanville's five goals as the Valiant men's hockey team excelled in all areas of the game in posting a 5-1 non-conference victory over Trinity (Conn.) in the first-ever meeting between the two teams on Friday night at Playland Ice Casino.

The Manhattanville offensive attack continued to show signs up waking up from an early-season slumber, reaching the five-goal plateau for the third straight contest – not coincidentally, all Valiant victories. Elser led the team by scoring twice for the second straight game and also adding an assist for a game-high three points. Turner also had his second two-goal game of the year, while junior assistant captain Ron Smith (North Delta, B.C./Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL)) assisted on three of the team's five scores as well.

But it wasn't just the offensive attack that was impressive on Friday night. The Valiant penalty kill had easily its best night of the year against the Bantams, holding Trinity scoreless on eight attempts – including a pair of prolonged five-on-three advantages – and also netting a shorthanded goal. The power-play unit also looked good, going 1 for 3 and firing 10 shots on the Trinity net in less than six minutes of man-up play.

For the game, Manhattanville posted a 40-30 edge in shots, including a dominating 21-9 margin in the final period of play as the Valiants emphatically closed the door on the visitors. Senior Pierre-Olivier Lemieux (Rimouski, Que./Neepawa Natives (MJHL)) earned the win by turning aside 29 of 30 shots, while Trinity goalie Benjamin Coulthard allowed five goals and made 35 saves in a losing effort.

The scoring started at the 9:06 mark of the opening period, when Elser laid a big hit on a Bantam defenseman at the offensive blue line that allowed sophomore Luc Van Natter (Fort Erie, Ont./Aurora Tigers (OPJHL)) to walk in down the left side and somehow saucer a backhander past Coulthard for his fifth goal of the year. The roles were reversed in the final minute of the frame, as Van Natter won a puck in the corner and fed to a wide-open Elser in the slot for an easy put away on the power play.

The only goal of the middle frame came off the stick of Trinity's Nicholas Tierney, as he scored on a rebound in front of the Valiant cage. Nevertheless, Lemieux turned aside all 10 remaining Bantam shots in the frame and the Valiants headed into the third with a one-goal lead.

The third period saw the home team close the door with three more scores, two coming off the stick of Turner. The junior started the final frame scoring with his fifth of the year at the 3:55 mark, skating off the far boards and picking the corner. Elser kept the goals coming just over eight minutes later, when he netted a transition tally off a pass from senior co-captain Evan Michalchuk (Edmonton, Alta./Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL)) that bounced off a Bantam player in front and beat Coulthard.

To put a cap on the night, Manhattanville scored shorthanded 65 seconds later, as Smith won an offensive zone draw to himself and fed right to the top of the crease for Turner, who easily tapped the puck into an empty net for his second of the game and team-leading sixth of the year.

Manhattanville (4-3-1) will conclude the 2011 calendar year and look for its fourth straight victory on Saturday night, as the Valiants face another NESCAC foe, Wesleyan, beginning at 7 p.m. Fans can catch all the action live on WMVL 88.1 FM beginning at 6:50 p.m. Trinity is off until December 31, when the team hosts Nichols at 4 p.m.