Box Score STAMFORD, Conn. – After first period goals by senior Lynsey Schill (Waterloo, Ontario/Kitchener Rangers (PWHL)) and sophomore Michelle Meggiolaro, the Manhattanville women's hockey team yielded four-straight goals to the Norwich Cadets in a 4-3 loss at the Terry Conners Rink on Friday evening.
 
The Valiants struck first as freshman Brighid Noone (Quincy, Mass./Milton Academy) threw the puck behind the net of Norwich netminder Kelly Fisk. Once the puck was in possession, Schill wheeled around the goal and banked the puck in off of Fisk's skate to put Manhattanville up by a 1-0 score just over seven minutes into the opening period.
 
Less than three minutes later the Valiants caused a turnover deep in their own end, once the puck was corralled by sophomore Alla Traun (Edina, Minn./Minnesota Thoroughbreds (JWHL)), she skated up the left wing on a two-on-one break with Meggiolaro. Traun then sent the pass to her classmate, who in turn sent the puck to the back of the net as Fisk tried to move post-to-post but was unsuccessful in her attempt.
 
With the Valiants up 2-0, they were exactly in the same position as they were 10 months earlier in the 2012 ECAC Championship game against the Cadets. And just as was the case in the title game the Cadets struck for two goals in the latter stages of the first period to tie the game.
 
After some quick passing up ahead into the offensive zone, Norwich weaved between several Valiant defenders as Tori Charron threw the puck across the slot where she found Renee Lortee, who backhanded the puck over the shoulder of Valiant sophomore goalkeeper Kirsten Shaughnessy (Le Center, Minn./LeSueur-Henderson St. Peter) to cut the lead in half at 2-1.
 
As the period rolled into the final five minutes, the Cadets struck once more as Emily MacKinnon took a shot that was initially saved by Shaughnessy but the rebound bounced right to the stick of Lucie Manhartova, who placed the puck home into the vacant side of the net to even the game at two and send the game to the first intermission tied.
 
In the second period, Norwich took advantage of a penalty that had carried over from the end of the first. Just 55 seconds into the period Taylor Cross rocketed a shot from the top of the zone and found the back of the net as Shaughnessy was screened in front by a bevy of Valiant and Cadet players. With the goal, Norwich took its first lead of the contest at 3-2.
 
Norwich was granted yet another power play chanced at the 7:06 point of the second period, and it took the Cadets 59 seconds to find the back of the net once more. This time it was Manhartova again on the goal crease and picked up another rebound after the initial shot was taken from the blue line, then tipped across the crease to Manhartova to put Norwich up 4-2.
 
The lead remained through the remainder of the second period despite both teams having a power play chances each through the final 5:49 of the period. The Valiants had yet another power play chance that started with 27 seconds to go in the period and carried over into the third frame.
 
The Cadets killed off the remainder of the first penalty called against Kayla Parsons, but several minutes later Manhartova was sent to the box for a checking call to put the Valiants back to the power play.
 
After passing the puck back and forth between one another sophomore Trenah Stauffer (Salmon, Idaho/Colorado Select (JWHL)) ripped a howitzer of a shot from the same position where Cross had taken her shot earlier in the contest, after taking the pass once again from senior Alyssa Taylor (Craik, Saskatchewan/Sait Polytechnic (ACAC)). The outcome of Stauffer's shot was the same as Cross' shot; a goal to trim Norwich's lead back down to 4-3.
 
The referees let both teams play down the stretch of the game, as neither side was called for a penalty through the remainder of the contest after nine were called earlier in the game. The Valiants had several chances but the Cadets continued to block shots before they could make their way on goal.
 
Manhattanville pulled Shaughnessy with just over a minute to go in regulation in favor of the extra attacker but the Valiants were able to muster only one shot with the extra skater. A shot from the point by freshman McKenna Farole that was again blocked by a Cadet player in front of the net.
 
The game ended with Manhattanville finishing the contest going 1-for-4 on its power play chances, while Norwich converted on two of its four attempts for the game. Final shots were also in favor of the Cadets at a 22-18 margin, while face-offs were in favor of Manhattanville at 42-28.
 
Manhattanville (9-6-1, 7-1-1 ECAC East) suffers its first loss in league play as they head into action tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 p.m. against the St. Michael's Purple Knights. Norwich (11-2-3, 10-1-0 ECAC East) continues its weekend road trip when they take on the Nichols Bison at 7:40 p.m. on Saturday night.