Box Score STAMFORD, Conn. – Freshman Teagan Waugh (Nanaimo, B.C./Powell River Kings (BCHL)) tied his season high with three points and senior Mark Rivera (Belmar, N.J./Springfield Pics (EJHL)) matched him with two goals of his own as the fourth-seeded Manhattanville men's hockey team took out fifth-seeded Neumann by a 5-2 score in the first round of the 2014 ECAC West Conference Tournament, held on Wednesday night at Terry Conners Rink.
 
The win ensures Manhattanville (13-11-2) of its 14th consecutive above-.500 season and more importantly advances the squad to the ECAC West Tournament semifinals, where they will face off with top-seeded and national #14/15 Utica on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Third-seeded Hobart defeated Nazareth by a 2-1 score in other first-round action on Wednesday and will travel to second-seeded Elmira for a Saturday night semifinal matchup.
 
Waugh notched his first career multi-goal game and also added an assist for three points, and his linemates got involved as well, with junior Jake Mooney (Toronto, Ont./North York Rangers (OPJHL)) recording a goal and two assists and senior co-captain Luc Van Natter (Fort Erie, Ont./Aurora Tigers (OPJHL)) assisting on a pair of goals. Rivera also had a great game for the Valiants, scoring a pair of goals to give him a career-high 11 so far this season.
 
The first period was statistically dominated by Manhattanville, as the Valiants kept the Knights without an on-target shot for the first 13-plus minutes of the game and held a 14-2 edge in shots over the opening 20 minutes. However, neither team could find the net and the teams went into the second period knotted at zero.
 
The tide turned early in the middle frame when Brandon Gagne tapped home a nice cross-crease pass from Jon Low on the power play, suddenly giving Neumann (9-12-5) a 1-0 lead 2:27 into the period.
 
But Manhattanville responded in the best way possible, scoring two goals in 1:22 soon after to re-take control of the game. Rivera got the game back to even on the power play at the 5:47 mark when his slap shot from the near point beat NU netminder Braely Torris over the shoulder. The home team went ahead less than 90 seconds later thanks to Waugh, who took a crisp outlet pass from Van Natter and walked in on Torris before beating him high with a wrist shot.
 
The Valiants kept the foot on the gas early in the third period as well, as Mooney potted his 12th goal of the year to double the Valiant lead. This time it was Waugh getting the play started by winning a battle in the corner and pushing the puck behind the net to Van Natter, who found Mooney at the side of the net for the put away.
 
Neumann's Matt Zendejas got the visitors back within a goal at the 8:12 mark with his third of the year, but Manhattanville held its ground defensively and limited Neumann to only four shots the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Rivera gave the Valiants some breathing room with 1:45 left when he somehow squeezed a shot before Torris' pads and the near post to make it 4-2. Waugh then put a cap on the contest with his second of the game, an empty-netter that came with 36 seconds left.
 
Manhattanville finished the night with a 42-22 edge in shots overall, including a 16-6 edge in the third period that closed out the Knights. Senior netminder Alex Scola (Exeter, N.H./Woodstock Slammers (MJHL)) made 20 saves on 22 shots to outduel Torris, who made 37 saves but also ceded four goals.
 
Check GoValiants.com on Thursday for more information on Sunday's ECAC West semifinal matchup, including video and audio options as well as a full game preview.