RYE, N.Y. - Utica College forward Anthony McVeigh scored his second goal of the game 3:02 into overtime to cap a two-goal comeback as the third-seeded Pioneers knocked off second-seeded Manhattanville College, 4-3 (OT), in the semifinals of the ECAC West Conference Tournament on Saturday night at Playland Ice Casino.
With the win, Utica (14-9-4) advances to next Saturday's ECAC West Championship game, where they will face off with top-seeded Hobart College. Manhattanville has its promising season come to an end with a 12-13-1 overall mark.
Utica registered the only four shots of overtime, winning the game after a swift swing of momentum. Manhattanville had a two-on-one opportunity that could not be converted and, on the subsequent possession, Dalton Carter flung the puck off the boards to a waiting McVeigh, who went in alone on freshman
Tyler Feaver (Whitby, Ont./Whitby Fury (OJHL)) and found the top corner for the game-winner.
McVeigh scored twice to lead all scorers on the night. Manhattanville received goals from senior
Matt Coleman (Brentwood, N.Y./Springfield Pics (EJHL)) and freshmen
Jared Martin (Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask./Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL)) and
Casper Dyrssen (Stockholm, Sweden/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) in the loss.
Manhattanville started and ended the first period strong, scoring one early and one late to grab a 2-0 lead after one period. Coleman got the home started less than three minutes into the game, finding the net 2:53 into the game from freshmen
Eric Berglund (Sollentuna, Sweden/Islanders Hockey Club (USPHL)) and
Oscar Arfelt (Stockholm, Sweden/Connecticut Oilers (EHL)).
After Utica carried a majority of the play for the rest of the period, the Valiants struck again with 18.9 seconds left to double their lead. Dyrssen and classmate
Jeff Beck (Broomall, Pa./Philadelphia Junior Flyers (EHL)) came down the ice on a two-on-one break, and Beck fed across for Dyrssen's put away. Sophomore
Thimmy Garbenius (Nykvarn, Sweden/Sodertalje SK (SWE)) also recorded an assist on the goal, which was just Manhattanville's fifth shot of the stanza.
Both teams scored once in the middle frame, as the Valiants headed to the third with a 3-1 lead. Utica got on the board at 7:41 when Nick Miglio tipped home a shot from the point by Zach Borsoi, but Manhattanville responded 2:13 later when some pretty passing from freshmen
Matt Lippa (Richmond Hill, Ont./Oakville Blades (OJHL)) and
Cory Anderson (Bakersfield, Calif./Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL)) set up Martin for a power-play tally.
The third period belonged to the Pioneers, who scored twice and kept the Valiants on the defensive almost throughout. Trent Samuels-Thomas got the visitors back within one 1:53 into the period, and McVeigh evened the score less than four minutes later. Neither team found the net again in regulation, setting the stage for overtime.
Feaver made 33 saves for Manhattanville, finishing the year with a 7-7-1 record. Michael Fredrick turned aside 20 shots to earn the victory for the Pioneers.
Manhattanville, which had been 5-0-0 in overtime at Playland this season and 6-1-1 overall in 2015-16, fell for the second time in a row to Utica in overtime to end the year. The Valiants finished the season 12-0-0 when scoring more than three goals in a game this year, but 0-13-1 when scoring three goals or less.
The Valiants are slated to return all but one of their top goal scorers and all five All-Conference performers next season, as Manhattanville looks to make another run toward its fifth ECAC West Conference championship.
