Box Score STAMFORD, Conn. – The No. 9 Manhattanville women's ice hockey team put away the St. Michael's Purple Knights on Tuesday afternoon by the score of 5-2 as Manhattanville got three unanswered goals to cap off the scoring. The game-winner was scored by senior Sonia Occhionero (Montreal, Quebec/Kent School (Conn.)), who finished the game with two goals at the Terry Conners Rink on Saturday.
 
Just as they did yesterday against Norwich, the Manhattanville offense struck first as senior Alyssa Taylor (Craik, Saskatchewan/Sait Polytechnic (ACAC)) through the puck into a group of players in front of the net, where it was classmate Jessica Kehoe (Kemptville, Ontario/Nepean Wildcats (PWHL)) to finish off the play as she sent the puck past Erin Stevens of St. Michael's for her fourth goal of the season at the 5:23 mark of the opening period.
 
Through the next ten minutes Stevens continued to keep her team in the contest as she turned away seven straight shots from a methodical Valiant offense. Eventually Manhattanville broke through again as senior Katie Little (Victoria, British Columbia/Team British Columbia) netted her team-leading eighth goal of the season after an individual effort to take the puck away and streak between a pair of St. Michael's defenders to put the Valiants up 2-0 in the opening period.
 
Manhattanville with their two goal lead came out flat in the second period as St. Michael's took a pair of shots that were stopped by Valiant freshman goalkeeper Victoria Smishek (Regina, Saskatchewan/Notre Dame Hounds (JWHL)). On the Purple Knights' third shot on target of the period, it was Melissa Hallisey to find the back of the net and cut the lead in half at 2-1. On the goal, Allison Graf and Melissa Coughlin picked up assists.
 
The Purple Knights were not done yet as just over a minute later they struck again to even the game at two apiece. This time it was Fernanda Saavedra to blast one from the top of the zone and rattle the cage and tie the game at two with 11:37 remaining in the period.
 
The Valiants, who have never lost to St. Michael's in 20 attempts entering the day needed to get the offense going again, and through the remainder of the game they did just that. Several minutes after St. Michael's tied the game, sophomore Rachael Morrison (Ridgefield, Conn./Sound Shore Warriors (MAWHL)) received a pass from older sister Mary Rose Morrison (Ridgefield, Conn./Connecticut Stars (MFYHL)) and blasted a shot in the direction of the cage. Occhionero was in front to re-direct the puck past Stevens and give Manhattanville the lead at 3-2 heading to the third period.

In the third, the Valiants looked to finish off their ECAC East foes for good and at the 12:24 point of the frame Manhattanville regained its two-goal edge as it was once again Occhionero to tip a shot from the point and re-direct it into the net to put Manhattanville up 4-2. The initial shot from the point was taken by senior Erin Sidjak (Delta, British Columbia/Pacific Steelers (JWHL)), who received a pass from classmate Lynsey Schill (Waterloo, Ontario/Kitchener Rangers (PWHL)), who both picked up assists.
 
Less than three minutes later the Valiant offense finished off the game as Sidjak sent yet another hard shot towards the St. Michael's goal, and this time found the back of the net herself for her first goal of the season. This time around it was [Rachael] Morrison and Schill to pick up the helpers on the final goal of the contest.
 
Manhattanville played out the game outshooting the Purple Knights 2-0 in shots on goal for a game total of 34 to St. Michael's 17. The Valiants also converted on their power play chances, going 2-for-3 on the man-advantage while St. Michael's went 0-for-1.
 
In goal, Smishek picked up her second win of the season as she ended the game with 15 saves to improve to 2-0-0 for the season, with both wins coming in conference play. Suffering her 12th loss of the season was Stevens, who followed up her 50-save performance from a night ago against Nichols with a 29-save game against the Valiants.
 
Manhattanville (10-6-1, 8-1-1 ECAC East) heads back to the road for its next four games including a return trip next weekend to Saint Anselm and UMass Boston. Earlier this season the Valiants were forced to play its home-opening weekend against the Hawks and Beacons on the road due to damage at the Playland Ice Casino caused by Super Storm Sandy. St. Michael's (1-14-1, 1-11-1 ECAC East) will next play at Castleton on Friday evening.