RYE, N.Y. – Senior assistant captain Adam Platt (Trumbull, Conn./Springfield Pics (USPHL)) scored the game-tying goal with the Valiant net empty and 1:40 left in regulation as the Manhattanville College men's hockey team settled for a 3-3 (OT) tie with Nichols College in the Valiants' non-conference finale on Saturday night at Playland Ice Casino.
 
Platt had a game-high three points for Manhattanville (8-8-1) on a goal and two assists, but his biggest point of the night was the last one, which erased the Valiants' first and only deficit of the night. Junior Kevin Loppatto (Plano, Texas/Springfield Pics (USPHL)) and sophomore Cory Anderson (Bakersfield, Calif./Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL)) also scored for the home team in the tie.
 
Nichols (9-4-3) received goals from J.B. Baker, Blake Kelley and Evan Schwartz.
 
After a scoreless period that featured only 13 combined shots on goal, Manhattanville struck twice on the power play to take a 2-0 lead. Loppatto opened the scoring 2:37 into the period, when he came off the side boards and rifled a shot past Nichols goaltender Colin Brennan for his fourth goal of the year. The lead doubled with 5:14 left in the period thanks to Anderson, who scored from the high slot in transition.
 
Nichols got one back while the teams skated four-on-four late in the frame, when Baker took a feed from Scott Cuthrell and beat sophomore Tyler Feaver (Whitby, Ont./Whitby Fury (OJHL)) from the slot at the 17:42 mark. The Bison scored two more to start the third period to take their first lead, as Kelley evened the score at the 7:44 mark and then Schwartz put the visitors ahead with his first of the year with 7:20 left in regulation.
 
The Valiants struggled to find the equalizer, and pulled Feaver with 1:56 remaining in regulation after a timeout. Manhattanville needed only 16 seconds of extra-attacker time in which to score, as Platt somehow stuffed the puck home after a mad scramble in front of the Nichols net at the 18:20 mark.
 
Both teams had excellent chances to end the game in overtime, but could not convert. Manhattanville had nearly two minutes of four-on-three advantage early in the frame and had both shots denied, while Nichols ended the extra time with 100 seconds of five-on-four advantage but was held without a shot on goal. The Valiants finished the game 2-for-8 on the power play, while also holding the Bison scoreless on seven man-up chances.
 
Manhattanville had the better of play for the evening, attempting 61 total shots but seeing 17 of them blocked by the Bison defense. The Valiants finished the night with a 30-20 edge in shots on goal, with Brennan turning aside 27 shots to keep his team in the game. Feaver recorded 17 saves for the Valiants.
 
Manhattanville begins the homestretch of its schedule on Friday, when the team plays the first of eight straight ECAC West Conference clashes to close the regular season against Neumann University beginning at 7 p.m. at Playland Ice Casino.