PINE VALLEY, N.Y. – Junior netminder Mac Vail (East Elmhurst, N.Y./Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (EHL)) put the Valiants on his back Saturday night, Nov. 16, and made a career-best 52 saves to lead the Manhattanville College men's ice hockey team to a 3-2 victory on the road over Elmira College. It was the first United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) win of the season for the Crimson and White.
 
Manhattanville (2-3-1, 1-3 UCHC) halted an early-season three-game skid with the win over the Soaring Eagles (2-3-1, 2-2 UCHC), with Vail's save total placing him fourth in the program's single-game record book. It was the most saves for a Valiant goalie in a single contest since Pierre-Olivier Lemieux made 55 stops against Elmira back on Jan. 28, 2012.
 
The first period was close on both ends, with the Eagles holding a slight 13-11 edge in shots on net. Fortunately, it was Manhattanville who broke through first as sophomore assistant captain Alex Rowella (Ridgefield, Conn./Connecticut Roughriders (EHL)) scored at 7:19 into the period – assisted by rookie Noah Bradley (Lancaster, Pa./Philadelphia Revolution (EHL)) for his first collegiate point – to put his team up 1-0. Elmira tied it up 1-1 just 1:34 later, but was then called for a tripping penalty at 12:18 into the period. On their first shot during the man-advantage, freshman Dylan Pollak (New Fairfield, Conn./South Kent School) recorded his first-career point with the powerplay goal – assisted by senior co-captain Ryan Jackson (Montreal, Que./Hawkesbury Hawks (CCHL)) and senior assistant captain Ken McLean (New Rochelle, N.Y./New York Bobcats (EHL)) – to put the Valiants ahead 2-1.
 
Both netminders stood tall for the remainder of the first, and all the way through the second, to keep the score at 2-1 in favor of the Crimson and White – Vail himself made an astounding 26 saves to Elmira's Logan Bateman's four in the second. Manhattanville eventually took the two-goal lead six-and-a-half minutes into the third period when McLean scored an unassisted goal for his second of the game – and team-leading sixth of the season – to make it 3-1. The Valiants were later called for a tripping with 9:01 remaining in regulation, leading to a powerplay goal for Elmira at 11:37 into the period. However, Vail made six more stops to cement the victory for the Valiants.
 
Manhattanville, now with a tally in its UCHC win column, returns to play next weekend for a pair of home conference games at Playland Ice Casino in Rye, N.Y. The Valiants first host Stevenson University on Friday night, Nov. 22, at 7:00 p.m., followed by a Saturday afternoon, Nov. 23, meeting with Chatham University at 3:30 p.m. The Crimson and White lead the Mustangs 4-2 all-time and hold a 4-0 edge in their matchups with the Cougars.