Box Score Boxscore
RYE, N.Y. – Junior
Katie Little (Victoria, British Columbia/Team British Columbia) scored three times, including twice shorthanded, as the Manhattanville women's ice hockey team defeated the Nichols Bison by the score of 4-1 on Saturday evening in an ECAC East Conference matchup at Playland Ice Casino.
For Little, it was the first time she had at least three goals in a game since her freshman season when she scored four against Nichols on February 7, 2010. Her two shorthanded tallies tied the Division III single-game record set on many previous occasions and also extended her own school record with 11 career shorthanded scores.
The Valiants didn't get off to as quick a start against Nichols as they did the previous night, but the Valiants did score first as Little stole the puck from a Nichols forward and skated down the ice and took a wrist shot from the top of the left wing circle that found its way past Nichols goalkeeper Francesca Palazzo. The goal at 12:37 into the period was Little's first since she scored twice against Plymouth State on December 2.
In the second period, the Valiants took a penalty and were forced to go shorthanded for the first time on the night. It proved to be a very successful penalty kill, as Little scored again on a breakaway attempt after getting around a Nichols defender and skating one on one with the keeper for her second of the night. Just over two minutes later, however, the Bison trimmed the lead in half at 2-1 with 13:28 to go in the frame.
As time was expiring in the second period and Manhattanville once again was on the penalty kill, Little struck for the third time going five-hole on Palazzo for her third of the night with just nine seconds to go in the period. Little took the pass from sophomore defender Mallory Watts (Bloomfield, Mich./Honeybaked (MWEHL)), and for Watts it was her third assist of the season.
The third period was controlled once again by the Valiants as they outshot their guests by a 15-9 margin. Their 15th shot of the series was an empty-net goal taken from the top of the zone by junior winger Mary Rose Morrison (Ridgefield, Conn./Connecticut Stars (MFYHL)), who scored her fourth goal of the season and second of the weekend series the Bison.
The Valiants finished the game outshooting the Bison by a 54-20 margin, the 54 shots being a season-high for the team. In goal for Manhattanville was junior Emy Cote (Saint-Hubert, Quebec/Dawson College), who made light work en route to her second win of the season by making 19 saves along the way. Palazzo for Nichols made 50 saves while allowing three Valiant markers.
Neither team was successful on the power play, as the Valiants went 0-for-4 with eight shots and Nichols went 0-for-3 with one shot. The Valiants did capitalize on the penalty kills, however, getting the two short-handed goals from Little.
Manhattanville (7-6-2, 5-2-1 ECAC East) will be back in action this coming Friday when they travel back to Northfield, Vt., to take on the #2 Norwich in a rematch of last year's ECAC East Conference Championship that saw the Valiants upset their favored hosts to earn a bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Nichols (4-10-1, 1-6-1) will be back in action next when they take on St. Michael's on Friday at 4:00 p.m. in South Burlington, Vermont.
