REISTERSTOWN, Md. – A five-on-three goal with 6:05 remaining in the third period was the difference as Stevenson University claimed the inaugural Middle Atlantic Conference title with a 4-3 win over Manhattanville College in MAC and UCHC men's hockey action on Saturday night at the Reisterstown Sportsplex.
 
Manhattanville (8-7-5, 5-4-2 UCHC/2-2-0 MAC) battled back from a pair of one-goal deficits to take a 3-2 lead early in the third period, but Stevenson (9-6-6, 7-2-3 UCHC/4-0-1 MAC) scored the final two goals of the game to sweep the season series and earn the MAC championship. The Mustangs also remain atop the United Collegiate Hockey Conference standings with the win, while the Valiants drop into sixth place.
 
Juniors Matt Lippa (Richmond Hill, Ont./Oakville Blades (OJHL)) and Oscar Arfelt (Stockholm, Sweden/Connecticut Oilers (EHL)) led the Valiants with had a goal and an assist each, while classmate Cory Anderson (Bakersfield, Calif./Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL)) scored as well for the visitors. Dominic Brenza scored twice to lead the Mustangs.
 
Brenza gave Stevenson a 1-0 lead at the 5:56 mark of the opening period with a shorthanded tally, but Lippa responded on the power play at 12:29 with his team-leading 11th goal of the year to knot the score after 20 minutes. He is the first Valiant to record back-to-back seasons of 11 or more goals since Scott Hudson '13 in his final two years.
 
The Mustangs again took a lead midway through the second period on Brenza's second of the night, but again the Valiants responded. Less than five minutes later, Anderson scored from the doorstep to tie the game at two headed into the final frame.
 
Manhattanville took its first lead of the night thanks to a five-on-three goal from Arfelt, who got the puck through a screen at 2:44 of the period. But the final two goals went to the home team, as Alfred Panelin-Borg tied the game at 11:22 and then Nick Gray scored a five-on-three goal with 6:05 on the clock to put the Mustangs ahead for good.
 
The Valiants had one last chance on the power play in the final four minutes, but the visitors could only manage one shot and then could not convert with an extra-attacker on the ice over the final 69 seconds.
 
Manhattanville finished the night with a 34-31 edge in shots. Junior Tyler Feaver (Whitby, Ont./Whitby Fury (OJHL)) made 27 saves in a losing effort, while Jacob Caffrey turned aside 31 shots to earn the win.
 
The Valiants are back in action next Saturday with a MAC and UCHC matchup at King's (Pa.) College beginning at 7 p.m.