RYE, N.Y. – Junior Nigel Slade (St. Catherines, Ont./Niagara Falls Canucks (GOJHL)) recorded his first career multi-goal game and added an assist for a career-best three points as the Manhattanville College men's hockey team took down Chatham University by a 7-1 score in a United Collegiate Hockey Conference matchup on Friday night at Playland Ice Casino.
 
The win keeps Manhattanville (10-7-5, 7-4-2 UCHC) in fifth place in the UCHC standings with three games remaining in the regular season, as the Valiants sit tied with Neumann University for fifth and three points ahead of seventh-place Nazareth College.
 
Slade had a big game for the home team, scoring once in both the first and third periods. Junior Matt Lippa (Richmond Hill, Ont./Oakville Blades (OJHL)) also had a pair of goals to give him a team-leading 14 on the year, while junior Oscar Arfelt (Stockholm, Sweden/Connecticut Oilers (EHL)) registered a career-best three assists and three points on the night as well to lead the Valiants.
 
Slade opened the scoring 4:01 into the opening period with his second tally of the season, followed by Lippa's first of the night on Manhattanville's first man-up chance of the night at 9:15 of the period. Arfelt assisted on both of the team's first two goals, while junior assistant captain Casper Dyrssen (Stockholm, Sweden/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) and senior Kevin Loppatto (Plano, Texas/Springfield Pics (USPHL)) both picked up points as well.
 
The Valiants then blitzed Chatham (1-18-3, 1-13-0 UCHC) with three goals in 71 seconds to take firm control of the game. Junior co-captain Stephen Gaul (Downers Grove, Ill./Springfield Pics (USPHL)) started the rally with his eighth of the year at 13:38, followed by Lippa a mere 13 seconds later with his second of the night that chased Chatham starting goalie Morgan Hudson. Junior Axel Walltott (Stockholm, Sweden/Varmdo HC J20 (SWE)) finished off the flurry at the 14:49 mark with his third goal of the season.
 
Despite outshooting Chatham 15-2 in the second period, the Valiants only managed to put one puck past Cougar netminder Trever Ralph, as junior assistant captain Bryan Platt (Trumbull, Conn./Springfield Pics (USPHL)) scored while the teams skated four-on-four to put the home team up 6-1 with 6:19 gone by in the frame.
 
There was only one goal in the third period as well, with Slade finishing off the scoring at the 4:13 mark from classmates and linemates Dyrssen and Jeff Beck (Broomall, Pa./Philadelphia Junior Flyers (EHL)).
 
Manhattanville finished the evening with a 39-22 edge in shots. Junior Tyler Feaver (Whitby, Ont./Whitby Fury (OJHL)) made 21 saves to pick up the win for the Valiants, while Hudson made 10 saves in 14:08 before Ralph turned aside 22 of 25 shots the rest of the way.
 
Manhattanville will play its final home game of the regular season tomorrow night, as the Valiants celebrate Senior Night before a UCHC and MAC matchup against Lebanon Valley College at Playland Ice Casino beginning at 7 p.m.