UTICA, N.Y. – Squaring off for the first time since last season's UCHC Semifinals classic, the Manhattanville College women's hockey team fell to No. 13 Utica on Friday evening, 4-0. The loss knocks the Valiants down to 9-7-1 overall and 9-3-1 in conference, holding in third place in the UCHC standings.

Friday's loss marked the fourth time this season that Manhattanville was held off the scoreboard, the first time since a 5-0 loss to Williams on January 2.

The Pioneers outshot the Valiants 38-25, but Manhattanville held a 10-8 shot advantage through the first period. Angela Hawthorne was up to task in net for Utica, stopping all 25 shots she saw on the day. Franny Gerardi (Yonkers, N.Y./Selects Academy) would make eight saves over the opening 20 minutes to put a scoreless first perio under her belt to send the game into the second still even at 0-0.

Utica would get on the board 7:23 into the second as Georgiana Santullo finished a feed from Erica Sloan and Carly Stefanini. The Pioneer lead would double six minutes later as Sloan picked up her second assist of the day on Carolyn Whitney's goal. Gerardi would turn away the other six shots she faced in the period, but the Valiants were once again denied by Hawthorne as all eight pucks on net in the second were stopped.

The Pioneers turned up the heat in the third with 22 shots. The result was two more tallies to close out the game for the home team. Whitney netted her second of the contest from Madison Novotny and Maggie Rylott on a power play. Novotny would close out the game with a power play goal of her own at 18:14.

Gerardi finished the game with 20 saves in the third, making 34 stops in the game. The senior goaltender currently holds a 1.76 goals-against average with a .938 save percentage.

Gabrielle Cox (Niverville, NY/Ichabod Crane High School) fired a team-best six shots towards Hawthorne, but not even the conference's leading scorer had an answer to the Utica goalkeeper on Friday. Catrina Chinetti (Hyde Park, Mass./Boston Latin Academy) and Brysha Schmidt (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./The Millbrook School) both finished with four shots on goal each.

Utica narrowly won the faceoff battle, 24-23. It was Chinetti leading the way for the Valiants on the dot with nine draws, while Annie Niedermier (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) added eight wins for Manhattanville.

The Valiants went 0-for-4 on power play opportunities with eight shots. Utica converted on two of their four chances with an extra skater, logging 10 total shots.

Up Next
The Valiants will look to bring some points home from Utica in the series finale tomorrow. Puck drop at the Utica Memorial Auditorium is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

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