RYE, N.Y. – Nazareth College scored the final three goals of the game, including a pair from Oliver Janzen, to turn a one-goal deficit into a 4-2 victory over the Manhattanville College men's hockey team in an ECAC West Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon at Playland Ice Casino.
 
With the win, Nazareth (11-7-4, 7-2-3 ECAC West) temporarily moves back into the first place in the ECAC West Conference standings pending tonight's other games, while Manhattanville (7-10-5, 2-8-2 ECAC West) can now finish no higher than fourth in the conference standings with three games remaining.
 
Janzen led all scorers with his two goals, which tied the game early in the second period and then put his team ahead for good in the third, and also added an assist for three points. Linemantes Ben Blasko and Dominik Gabaj both had three points each as well, with Blasko adding a goal and two assists while Gabaj chipped in three helpers for the Golden Flyers.
 
Junior Paul Allan Bamberg (Lulea, Sweden/Lulea HF J20 (SWE)) and sophomore Tanner Hicks (Calgary, Alta./Brooks Bandits (AJHL)) picked up the goals for Manhattanville, while senior Eric McClure (Mitchell, Ont./Thorold Blackhawks (OJHL)) registered a team-high two points by assisting on both Valiant tallies.
 
Blasko gave Nazareth an early 1-0 lead 5:05 into the opening period with his fourth goal of the year, and the Golden Flyers looked ready to get more when the Valiants then went immediately down a man. But instead it was Manhattanville that got on the board, as Bamberg picked up a shorthanded score from McClure at 6:01 to even the game at one.
 
The Valiants took their first lead of the afternoon later in the first period, as Hicks beat Nazareth netminder Ed Zdolshek for his first goal of the season at the 16:45 mark to put the home team up 2-1, a lead that would stand up until the first intermission. The Valiants held a 12-8 edge in shots after 20 minutes of action.
 
Manhattanville almost increased its lead in the opening minute of the second period when a McClure shot rattled off the pipe, but the puck stayed out and Nazareth came right back down the ice to tie the score on Janzen's first of the day at 1:19 of the middle frame. That was the only goal scored in a very even second period, in which the Golden Flyers posted a slight 10-9 edge in shots.
 
Entering the third period tied for the second straight game, this time it was Nazareth that scored twice to regain the lead. Janzen potted the eventual game-winner 4:38 into the period to give the visitors a 3-2 lead, and a defensive breakdown late in the frame allowed Julius Tamasy to add an insurance tally with 97 seconds remaining in the contest.
 
Manhattanville finished the game with a 31-26 edge in shots, but Zdolshek made 29 saves to earn the victory. Senior Brian Fleming (Saint John, N.B./Northern Cyclones (AJHL)) made 22 saves at the other end for Manhattanville, which could not continue the special-teams momentum from last night and went 0-for-5 on the man advantage.
 
The Valiants will play their final two-game series of the regular season next weekend with two contests at Hobart College beginning on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.