RYE, N.Y. -- The Manhattanville College women's hockey team fought to a 3-3 tie in their home opener against Johnson and Wales University on Friday, Nov. 1. Three different Valiants scored and the team battled back after falling behind twice in the contest. 

The first period saw only one goal. Johnson and Wales (0-0-1) got on the board just one minute into the game to take a 1-0 advantage. Manhattanville (0-0-1) battled throughout the period but could not find the back of the net. They outshot their opponent 11 to 9, but still found themselves down by one at the first intermission. 

The team emerged from the locker room prepared to play to start the second period. They tied the game at one goal apiece just four minutes into the period when sophomore forward Ana Tittman scored a powerplay goal assisted by senior defender Zoey Pellowitz (Arlington, Va./Washington Pride (JWHL)) and junior forward Tianna Lopes (West Vancouver, British Columbia/Pacific Steelers (JWHL)). Manhattanville scored again 27 seconds later when freshman forward Fjolla Berisha (Mahopac, N.Y./Brewster Lady Bulldogs (NEGHL)) fired a puck into the top of the net off an assist from Tittman. The Valiants held a two-goal lead early in the second period. 

Manhattanville was unable to hold of Johnson and Wales for long and the Wildcats mounted a comeback of their own midway through the second period. They scored two goals within a two-minute segment, one on the powerplay, to take a 3-2 lead over the Valiants. With 6:39 left in the second, they found themselves down by one again. The team continued to fight and with 1:18 left on the clock in the second period, senior forward Janet Xu (Edmonton, Alta./Ontario Hockey Academy) found the back of the net to tie the game at three goals apiece. She was assisted on the play by Lopes and Pellowitz. 

No more goals were scored after the second period. The Valiants were unable to tally another goal in a third period that was slowed down by injuries and several penalties. Despite outshooting the Wildcats 21-3 in the period, Manhattanville still found itself in overtime. Neither team could end the game with an overtime game winner and both sides had to settle with a tie to start their seasons. 

Both teams will be back in action again tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 2. The Valiants will take on Johnson and Wales at the Playland Ice Casino in Rye, N.Y. starting at 3:30 P.M.