RYE, N.Y. – Utica College scored the final two goals of the game, including Alex Brissette's game-winner with 2:16 remaining in regulation, to lift the Pioneers to a 2-1 ECAC West Conference victory over the Manhattanville College men's hockey team on Saturday night at Playland Ice Casino.
 
The loss drops Manhattanville to 7-9-4 (2-7-1 ECAC West) on the season, three points behind fourth-place Utica (10-6-4, 3-5-2 ECAC West) and Elmira with five games remaining on the regular-season slate.
 
After being outplayed in last night's 3-2 loss, Manhattanville turned the tables and took the game to Utica in the opening period on Saturday night, posting a 16-9 edge in shots. Junior Phil Lux (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis Jr. Blues (NA3HL)) put the home team up 3:41 into the game, scoring the first goal of his collegiate career on a wrist shot from just inside the blue line. Senior Rich Meyer (Port Monmouth, N.J./Boston Bulldogs (AtlJHL)) and freshman Fabian Andark (Stockholm, Sweden/Vaxjo Lakers VHL (SWE)) picked up the assists on the score.
 
The Pioneers responded by having the better of the play in the middle frame, out-shooting the Valiants 13-8 and scoring the only goal of the period. Trent Samuels-Thomas evened the score at 10:47 of the stanza, coming off the side wall and firing a shot through traffic that beat senior Brian Fleming (Saint John, N.B./Northern Cyclones (AJHL)) for his second of the year.
 
The teams traded good chances in the third period of play, but Fleming and Utica's Dylan Wells kept both squads off the board for the majority of the frame. But Utica managed to find the net just seconds after the third power play of the night expired, as Brissette had a blocked shot bounce right back to him and he fired a wrist shot by Fleming for the game-winning score with just over two minutes left in the contest.
 
Both goaltenders were kept busy on the night, with both Fleming and Wells turning aside 33 shots apiece over the 60 minutes of play. It was another night of light penalties for the two teams as well, as Manhattanville went 0-for-1 and Utica went 0-for-2 on the man advantage.
 
The Valiants will look to get back on track next weekend, when the squad hosts first-place Nazareth College for two key ECAC West Conference clashes at Playland Ice Casino beginning on Friday at 7 p.m.