Box Score Box Score
GENEVA, N.Y. – The Manhattanville men's hockey team, ranked ninth in Division III in the latest D3Hockey.com National Poll, could not solve Hobart netminder Nick Broadwater all night long and as a result suffered a 3-0 setback to the host Statesmen in an ECAC West Conference matchup on Friday night at the Geneva Recreation Center.
With the loss, Manhattanville (13-7-3, 6-5-0 ECAC West) assures itself a second-place finish in the conference regular-season standings, meaning that the Valiants will host a semifinal matchup on Saturday, February 25. Hobart (13-10-1, 4-6-1 ECAC West) temporarily moves into fourth place in the conference with a game still to go.
It was a game of precious few good scoring opportunities for the visitors. And when those good opportunities did arise there was Broadwater, who turned aside all 34 shots he faced for his second shutout of the Valiants this year – the only two clean sheets the team has endured in 2011-12.
Manhattanville did post a 34-25 edge in shots on the evening, with most of that coming during a frantic third period in which the Valiants took 16 shots to Hobart's two in a scramble to get back into the game. Broadwater was also helped along by his posts, as freshman Paul Sirignano (St. Catharines, Ont./Thorold Blackhawks (OJHL)) and senior Niclas Wennerlof (Gothenburg, Sweden/Frolunda Indians (SWE)) clanged shots off the same post about 10 seconds apart during the third stanza.
After a scoreless first period, Hobart took advantage of good chances at the very beginning and the very end of the middle frame to earn a two-goal lead after 40 minutes. Just 22 seconds into the period, Frank Salituro took a feed right in front of the Valiant net from Harry Radovich and redirected the puck into the goal for his 10th of the year. Manhattanville looked to have the game tied a few minutes later when a shot from sophomore Adam Young (Edmonton, Alta./Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)) was redirected into the goal, but the referees waived the tally off due to the puck supposedly being played with a high stick.
Then, after the Valiants finally started to sustain some offensive pressure late in the period, Hobart came back with a momentum-killing tally with 25 seconds left. On their last rush down the ice, Tommy Fiorentino camped out in front of the net and directed a pass home for his sixth of the year.
The Valiants came out firing in the third period, but could not find the back of the net. Meanwhile, Hobart had taken just one shot in the first 17 minutes of the period before Ian Coleman added a late tally to complete the scoring.
Senior Pierre-Olivier Lemieux (Rimouski, Que./Neepawa Natives (MJHL)) suffered the loss in net, making 22 saves on 25 shots. The Valiant power play struggled all night long, going 0 for 5, while the penalty kill was successful on both its man-down chances.
Manhattanville and Hobart will conclude the regular season tomorrow afternoon, as the two teams battle again beginning at 4 p.m. in Geneva.
