REISTERSTOWN, Md. – It's a weekend sweep in The Old Line State for the Manhattanville College women's hockey team as the Valiants defeated Stevenson on Saturday by a final of 3-2. With the win, the Valiants improve to 12-5-1 in UCHC play and now hold 36 points in the conference standings. Manhattanville holds a six point lead in the standings over Alvernia for third place, and will need to earn just one point in next week's regular season finale series to secure the No. 3 seed for the championship tournament.

Special teams led the way in this one as three for the four first period goals came on the power play. Hoping to avenge yesterday's loss, the Mustangs would strike first after Ciara Dauer (Winchester, MA/Worcester Academy) was sent to the penalty box for hooking. She would spend just 19 seconds there as Cassie Campbell scored on Stevenson's first shot with the extra skater, finishing a play set up by Ashlyn Bray and Kali Jo Zagula at 3:21. The Valiants would respond in suit with a power play goal of their own, capitalizing on Bray's tripping minor that sent her off the ice 6:44 into the period. Manhattanville took a touch longer to light the lamp on their first extra skater chance, but it would be Gabrielle Cox (Niverville, NY/Ichabod Crane High School) scoring 34 seconds in from Annie Niedermier (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) and Morgan Miller (St. Augustine, Fla./Gilmour Academy) to notch things up at 1-1.

Cox would put the Valiants ahead at the 13:31 mark with both teams back to full strength as Miller notched her second assist of the contest to set up Cox's 25^th goal of the season. With her two goal performance on Saturday, Cox earned the seventh 25 goal season in program history, the first since Katie Little scored 27 in the 2009-10 campaign. The senior continues to lead the UCHC in goals, goals per game (1.09), and power play goals (nine).

The Valiants would be charged four more minors before the period came to an end, and while they were able to successfully kill off a double-minor before taking the lead, Kerry Carr (New Hartford, N.Y./Millbrook School) and Cox would both be sent to the box with a roughing and body check call 25 second apart. The Mustangs capitalized on the 5-on-3 opportunity as Tea Ferrara scored from Karly Aguirre and Gracie Payne with 53 seconds left in the period to tie the game back up at 2-2.

The score held steady until 13:41 had gone in the second. Catrina Chinetti (Hyde Park, Mass./Boston Latin Academy) would score for a second-straight game as the rookie collected her fifth of the season as Miller and Niedermier set up yet another Valiant score. With the score holding at 3-2 for the remainder of play, Chinetti would be credited with her third game-winner of the season.

Jewells Austin (Bethlehem, CT/Nonnewaug High School) occupied the crease in Saturday's win, seeing her first action since Jan. 14 against Wilkes. The sophomore goalie finished with 23 saves, playing a scoreless final two periods improve to 5-0-0 on the season. Austin has been strong in her role this season, as she enters the final week of the season with a 1.80 goals against average and a .911 save percentage in her five appearances.

Miller won 18 draws as the Valiants held a 31-23 faceoff margin. Felicio added seven wins on the dot of her own.

The Valiants would go 1-for-5 on the power play, scoring only on their initial opportunity. Manhattanville finished with seven shots with the extra skater. Stevenson finished 2-of-6 with eight total shots on their power play chances.

Up Next
The regular season concludes next weekend as the Valiants return home. Manhattanville hosts Neumann University on Friday to open up a two game set at 7 p.m.

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