UTICA, N.Y. - Utica College scored the final four goals of the game to erase a one-goal deficit and defeat Manhattanville College by a 5-2 score in ECAC West Conference men's hockey action on Friday night at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

Manhattanville (10-9-1, 6-4-0 ECAC West) remains in second place in the conference despite the loss, but now sits just two points ahead of both Utica (10-8-3, 4-5-2 ECAC West) and Neumann University with five conference games left on the Valiant schedule.

Senior Matt Coleman (Brentwood, N.Y./Springfield Pics (EJHL)) and freshman Cory Anderson (Bakersfield, Calif./Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL)) gave the Valiants a pair of leads over the first two periods, but the visitors could not make them stick as Utica struck for one goal in the second period and then three unanswered tallies in the third period.

Coleman got Manhattanville on the board first at 10:38 of the opening frame, executing a give-and-go to perfection by taking a feed from freshman Eric Berglund (Sollentuna, Sweden/Islanders Hockey Club (USPHL)) and beating Utica netminder Michael Fredrick. Junior Teagan Waugh (Nanaimo, B.C./Powell River Kings (BCHL)) also earned an assist after causing a turnover at center ice to start the rush.

After Utica's Joel Wetmore evened the score with a shorthanded tally early in the second period, Manhattanville got back on top again at the 6:25 mark. As junior Tanner Hicks (Calgary, Alta./Brooks Bandits (AJHL)) took a shot from the blue line, Anderson skated into the low slot and deftly deflected the puck past Fredrick for his seventh goal of the season.

The Valiants held that lead for most of the middle stanza, but Utica got back to even again with 2:21 left in the period thanks to an Anthony McVeigh tally.

The third period was all Utica, as the Pioneers outshot the Valiants by a 19-5 margin and scored three times to earn the win. Adam Moody played a role in all three UC goals during the frame, assisting on the go-ahead goal at 1:34 and then scoring twice later in the period.

Fredrick made 28 saves to earn the win for the Pioneers, while freshman Tyler Feaver (Whitby, Ont./Whitby Fury (OJHL)) got the nod for the Valiants between the pipes and made 35 saves in a losing effort.

Manhattanville will look to win the season series with Utica tomorrow night, when the teams play their third and final game of the regular season beginning at 7 p.m. at the Aud.