RYE, N.Y. – For the second straight season the Manhattanville Valiants have been defeated in the ECAC East Quarterfinal by the UMass Boston Beacons. Seniors Sydney Asselstine (Hartington, Ontario/Nepean Wildcats (PWHL)) and Aubrey Bachand (Harwichport, Mass./Vermont Academy) scored the goals for the Valiants, who fell by a final score of 3-2.
 
Manhattanville could not have played better hockey in the first period. From the drop of the puck the team dominated in every area of the game. After Rachael Morrison (Ridgefield, Conn./Sound Shore Warriors (MAWHL)) earned Manhattanville a power play 32 seconds into the game, the Valiants got on the board first when Asselstine received a pass from classmate Alla Traun (Edina, Minn./Minnesota Thoroughbreds (JWHL)) and fired a shot over the glove of Moe Bradley just 1:31 into the game.
 
The Valiants continued to dominate play and were outshooting the Beacons 11-2 until halfway through the first period when a quick transition from the Beacons led to a scoring opportunity. After sophomore goaltender Olivia Drew (York, Maine/Portland Jr. Pirates) made the initial save, the rebound caromed right into the low slot area allowing UMass Boston forward Lizzie Aveson to slide the puck into the far side of the net. 1-1.
 
Once the Beacons tied the game the momentum shifted and both teams began battling for the lead. It was UMass Boston who would gain control of the lead, scoring again with just 2:09 remaining in the first period. The goal, scored by Alli Bianchini, came off a rebound from Kayla Smith's initial shot from the point. Despite outshooting UMass Boston 17-7, the Valiants entered the first intermission trailing 2-1.
 
Both goaltenders were perfect in the second period; Drew turned away all 10 shots she faced and Moe Bradley turned away the eight that came her direction. Drew would go on to finish the game with 26 saves on 29 shots while Bradley recorded 35 saves on 37 shots.
 
The Valiants entered the third period down 2-1, and down a player as sophomore Kayley Romano (Viera, Fla./Boston Shamrocks) was called for a body-checking penalty at the end of the second period.
 
Playing shorthanded, senior Aubrey Bachand (Harwichport, Mass./Vermont Academy) chased a clearance attempt out of the zone, skated the length of the ice and put a shot on Bradley; the rebound came was mishandled by UMass Boston defender Kelsey MacIsaac, and the puck slid into the open net, tying the game at 2-2.
 
The celebration, and momentum swing, was short lived as the Beacons would get back on the board just 40 seconds later when Kristen Embrey threw a puck on goal that managed to get by Drew and into the top corner of the goal for a 3-2 lead with 18:42 remaining in the game.
 
The teams would trade scoring opportunities but both goaltenders were perfect the rest of the day. Drew made some huge saves to keep the Valiants in the game and Bradley made big saves on her end, leading the Beacons to the ECAC East Semifinals in Northfield, Vt. next weekend.
 
It was a tough loss for the Valiants, including the six graduating members of the senior class. Sydney Asselstine (Hartington, Ontario/Nepean Wildcats (PWHL)), Aubrey Bachand (Harwichport, Mass./Vermont Academy), Michele Meggiolaro (Whippany, N.J./New Jersey Colonials (MAWHA)), Rachael Morrison (Ridgefield, Conn./Sound Shore Warriors (MAWHL)), Kirsten Shaughnessy (Le Center, Minn./LeSueur-Henderson St. Peter) and Alla Traun (Edina, Minn./Minnesota Thoroughbreds (JWHL)) have played a combined 540 games for Manhattanville over their careers.
 
While it will miss the leadership it has received from the six tremendous athletes on their team, the Valiants will be returning 20 players next year, only two of which are juniors. The returning players have been privileged to learn how to play the game and be a good leader from the departing members and will use all they have learned to lead this team back to an ECAC East Championship.