WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – AJ Bella's (Norwalk, Conn./Connecticut Roughriders (EHL)) hot start to the year continued on Sunday, as the junior's goal in the closing seconds of regulation lifted the Manhattanville College men's hockey team to a 3-1 victory at Wilkes. The win earns the Valiants four out of a possible six points in the series with the Colonels, improving to 2-2-0 on the season.

With the game tied at 1-1, Steven Spetz was called for tripping with 1:45 left in regulation. The Valiants would capitalize on the power play chance, as Artem Mateichenko (Kharkov, Ukraine/New Hampshire Avalanche (EHL)) and Connor Boyce (St. Albans, Vt./Connecticut RoughRiders (EHL)) used a series of passes to set up Bella with the shot, firing the puck past Garrett Nieto to give the Valiants the lead with 47 seconds in the period.

Bella has now scored in each of the first four games of the season, earning seven total points on five goals and a pair of assists. None of his tallies in the early going was more opportune than Sunday's score, his first game-winner of the season.

The Valiants would add an empty netter off the stick of Mason Emoff (Collingwood, Ont./Vermont Lumberjacks (EHL), Pembroke Lumberkings (CCHL)) from Mitchell Watson (Calgary Alberta, Canada/Canmore Eagles (AJHL)) as the period drew to a close to hold off the Colonels with the extra skater and secure the win.

After seven combined goals in yesterday's overtime affair, defensive play stepped up in Sunday's rematch. The teams traded first period power play goals, the only offense on either side of the ice before Manhattanville's last minute heroics. Billy Berry scored first for Wilkes after Mateichenko was assessed a minor for tripping, scoring on the Colonels' second shot on the power play 4:37 into the game.

The Valiants got the equalizer with a power play goal of their own, as Dylan Pollak (New Fairfield, Conn./Selects Academy (18U AAA)) fired a one-timer in at 15:10 to bring the game back to a 1-1 tie. Boyce and Tristan Frese (Broomfield, CO/Jersey Hitmen (NCDC)) were credited with the assists on the Manhattanville goal.

From there, things remained scoreless until the closing minute of regulation. Sebastian Woods (Limehouse, Ontario, Canada/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) made 30 total saves in his second career start in net, allowing just the lone goal in the first period. The rookie made 13 total stops in the first and 11 saves in a scoreless second. Woods would turn away all six shots fired on the cage in the third period, setting the stage for Bella's dramatics.

Wilkes held a narrow 35-32 faceoff advantage. Josh Fletcher (Calgary, Alb./Kindersley Klippers (SJHL)) and Lane Paddison (100 Mile House, Canada/Canmore Eagles (AJHL)) won 10 draws each for the Valiants.

Up Next
The Valiants will make their home debut this upcoming weekend for a series against Stevenson. The Valiants and Mustangs will first meet on Friday night at 7 p.m.

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