Box Score RUTLAND, Vt. – Led by the first career hat trick from sophomore Matt Coleman (Brentwood, N.Y./Springfield Pics (EJHL)), the Manhattanville men's hockey team posted a decisive 47-26 edge in shots on the way to a convincing 7-3 win over SUNY Brockport in the opening game of the 2013 Rutland Herald Invitational, hosted by Castleton State on Saturday afternoon at Spartan Arena.

Coleman was the leader of a relentless offensive attack for the Valiants, which featured 12 of 18 skaters with at least one point. Senior co-captain Craig Simchuk (Winnipeg, Man./Winnipeg Saints (MJHL)) also added three points on a goal and two assists, while seniors Luc Van Natter (Fort Erie, Ont./Aurora Tigers (OPJHL)) and Mark Rivera (Belmar, N.J./Springfield Pics (EJHL)) as well as junior Anton Racklin (Gothenburg, Sweden/Fairbanks Ice Dogs (NAHL)) all had two helpers apiece.

Manhattanville (4-4) advances to the championship game tomorrow at 3 p.m., where the Valiants will take on Tufts, which knocked off host Castleton State by a 4-3 score in Saturday's second game.

The Valiants came out very strong against the Golden Eagles, scoring three times and posting a 17-9 edge in shots in the first period to take control of the contest. After more than 12 minutes of scoreless hockey, Coleman got things started at 12:26 with his first of the game from Racklin and junior Eric McClure (Mitchell, Ont./Thorold Blackhawks (OJHL)). The team then made the Golden Eagles pay for a five-minute major, as junior Jake Mooney (Toronto, Ont./North York Rangers (OPJHL)) scored on a five-on-three at 13:55 and classmate Paul Sirignano (St. Catharines, Ont./Thorold Blackhawks (OJHL)) followed less than two minutes later on the subsequent five-on-four to make it 3-0 Valiants.

Both teams lit the lamp three times in the middle stanza, as the Valiants maintained their three-goal edge after 40 minutes. Simchuk started the bonanza 2:55 into the period, netting the third shorthanded goal of his career off a pass from freshman Phil Dinner (Simsbury, Conn./Connecticut Oilers (EJHL)), the first-year player's first collegiate point. Coleman and junior Adam Young (Edmonton, Alta./Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)) also scored for Manhattanville in the frame, helping to counteract three Brockport goals.

After the scorefest in the second period, it was natural that no goals were scored for the first 19-plus minutes of the final frame. Coleman scored the first and only goal of the period with seven seconds left in the game, completing his hat trick while up two men thanks to multiple penalties on both sides.

Junior Brian Fleming (Saint John, N.B./Northern Cyclones (AJHL)) got the start for Manhattanville but did not last long due to a collision in the first period. The junior stopped all eight shots he faced in 13:12 before senior Alex Scola (Exeter, N.H./Woodstock Slammers (MJHL)) turned aside 15 of 18 shots over the final 46:48 to even his record on the year at 2-2-0.