Box Score STAMFORD, Conn. – Trinity (Conn.) forward John Hawkrigg scored three times and linemate Sean Orlando had a goal and three assists as the visiting Bantams dealt Manhattanville a 6-3 defeat in non-conference men's hockey action from Terry Conners Rink on Saturday night.
 
A trio of seniors, Craig Simchuk (Winnipeg, Man./Winnipeg Saints (MJHL)), Luc Van Natter (Fort Erie, Ont./Aurora Tigers (OPJHL)) and Louie Balzano (Staten Island, N.Y./New York Apple Core (EJHL)), scored for Manhattanville (6-5-0) in a losing effort. Simchuk added an assist for a team-best two points.
 
After Trinity opened the scoring midway through the first period with a power-play goal, Manhattanville got the goal back on its first man-up chance just over four minutes later, needing only nine seconds of power-play time to even the score. A faceoff win by Simchuk was won back to the point for junior Anton Racklin (Gothenburg, Sweden/Fairbanks Ice Dogs (NAHL)), who fed Van Natter for a snipe from the left circle at 14:48 of the opening frame.
 
The Valiants carried that momentum into the start of the second period, taking their first lead of the night on Simchuk's third goal of the year 4:12 into the period. Freshman Anthony Luzzi (Branford, Conn./The Gunnery School) took a pass from junior JP Witkop (Fairport, N.Y./Merritt Centennials (BCHL)) and fed it toward the net where Simchuk could redirect it past Trinity netminder Benjamin Coulthard for the score.
 
But that was when Hawkrigg got going, as he scored three times in the second period to help his team to a four-goal stretch that completely changed the contest. He evened the score at two 95 seconds after Simchuk's goal off a feed from Orlando, and then scored a power-play goal midway through the second period to give his team back the lead. 
 
The key goal of the game came at the 16:07 mark with the Valiants on the power play, when Orlando stole the puck at the defensive blue line and streaked down the ice to draw senior Alex Scola (Exeter, N.H./Woodstock Slammers (MJHL)) out of his net before dropping it back to Michael Flynn for the shorthanded put away. Hawkrigg added his third of the period at 17:50 to give the Bantams a three-goal edge headed into the third period.
 
The Valiants could not manage much sustained offense in the third period, only getting back within two goals with 1:28 left on the clock on Balzano's fifth score of the season. But Orlando added an empty-net tally 24 seconds later to regain the Bantams' three-goal lead and account for the final score.
 
Manhattanville and Trinity finished the night even at 34 shots apiece. Coulthard earned the win by making 31 saves, while Scola had a rough evening, allowing five goals on 33 shots.
 
After scoring very early on its first power play, the Valiant special teams struggled as well, as the power play went 1 for 6 with a shorthanded goal allowed while the penalty kill went 2 for 4.
 
Manhattanville will have plenty of time to regroup from the loss, as the Valiants do not return to action until after the New Year, when the team travels to Curry for a non-conference matchup on January 10 at 6:40 p.m.