RYE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College men's ice hockey team suffered a tough 6-5 overtime loss to United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) foe #13 Wilkes University on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 15. Prior to the game, the Valiants' three seniors – Ryan Jackson (Montreal, Que./Pomfret School), Ken McLean (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) and Joel Knight (Stoney Creak, Ont./Orchard Park Secondary School) – were honored in a brief ceremony acknowledging their accomplishments on and off the ice over their four seasons. Trailing 5-3 with under four minutes remaining in regulation, McLean and Jackson were able to help tie up the game and force overtime.
 
Manhattanville (9-13-2, 6-10-1 UCHC) started off the game earning a man-advantage opportunity midway through the first. The Valiants attempted several shots but could not break through against the Colonels (18-5, 14-2 UCHC). It was Wilkes who scored first as Danny Reidel made it 1-0 with 4:32 remaining in the period. Several minutes later rookie Connor Boyce (St. Albans, Vt./The Winchendon School) was called for holding, giving the Colonels a powerplay, but thanks to a turnover at the blue line, freshman Josh Fletcher (Calgary, Alb./Central Memorial) earned a breakaway chance and put it past the Wilkes netminder to tie it up shorthanded with 2:26 on the clock. However, another holding call for the Valiants gave the Colonels a powerplay in the final minute of the period and Wilkes would capitalize with a deflection in front to make it 2-1 with just 00:07 remaining.
 
The second period started with both teams earning a few solid chances, but it was the Valiants who tied it up at 5:41 thanks to a shot from the point off the stick of freshman Ben Steele (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little). Fellow rookie Hayden Taylor (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Detroit Country Day) was able to get a stick on it and deflect it into the back of the net to make it 2-2. Just under seven minutes later, Steele was called for tripping, giving Wilkes another man-advantage opportunity. Tyson Araujo was able to take a pass in front and put it past Valiant netminder junior Mac Vail (East Elmhurst, N.Y./Baccalaureate School for Global Education) to make it 3-2 with 6:07 remaining. Once again, special teams were key for Manhattanville as the home squad was able to tie it up with just over three minutes until the second intermission. This time it was Knight who scored, ripping a shot from the point and beating the screened Colonel goalie for the goal.
 
Period number three was all Wilkes early on as the Colonels scored just 2:13 in to take the 4-3 lead on Reidel's second of the day. Manhattanville killed off a penalty with just over seven minutes gone and then earned a man-advantage opportunity of its own at 7:43, but was unable to capitalize. Just under seven minutes later, the Valiants were called for roughing to put Wilkes on the powerplay again, and this time the visiting squad was able to make it a two-goal game at 5-3 with 16:02 gone.
 
Not faltering, the Valiants immediately fired back. Boyce lofted the puck all the way to the end of the neutral zone to find fellow freshman Glynn Robitaille (Northville, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central) on the breakout. The rookie then dropped a pass into the slot to find a wide open McLean for the goal, sending the crowd into a frenzy for the local New Rochelle native on Senior Day as the score was now 5-4 Wilkes with 3:13 remaining in regulation. Head coach Arlen Marshall then pulled Vail a couple times, the latter of which was proceeded by a tripping call against the Colonels to give Manhattanville the 6-on-4 opportunity with 1:12 on the clock. McLean eventually found Jackson at the point and the co-captain ripped a shot through a screen to tie it up with 50 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.
 
Unfortunately, a quick faceoff win for Wilkes led to the game-winning and hat-trick sealing goal for Reidel just 00:11 into overtime to ened it. All three Manhattanville seniors recorded a goal on the afternoon, but it was not enough as the Valiants were officially eliminated from UCHC playoff contention with the loss. The squad returns to the ice on Friday night, Feb. 21, at 7:00 p.m. in Aston, Pa., for the season finale at Neumann University.