RYE, N.Y. – For the second-consecutive season, the Manhattanville College women's hockey team will be headed to the postseason with the No. 3 seed as the Valiants clinched third place in the UCHC regular season standings following Friday's 4-0 win over Neumann. The win moves the Valiants' record to 13-10-1 overall and 13-5-1 in UCHC play, now holding 42 points in conference play.

The Valiants scored once in the first before netting three insurance tallies in the third period, but they would ultimately need just the opening goal to pick up the win on Friday at the Playland Ice Casino. It was Grace Felicio (Holden, Mass./Wachusett Regional) that got the night off to a strong start as the junior notched her fourth goal of the season off an assist from Holly Meredith (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Vermont Academy) 2:31 into the game. With the Valiants finding paydirt on just their third shot of the night, it seemed that it was going to be a long night for the Knights. However, Michelle Winand-Bacon did all that she could to keep Neumann in this one as she stopped 20 of the 21 shots fired her way across the opening 20 minutes in the Knights' crease.

While facing a lesser workload on the other end of the ice, Franny Gerardi (Yonkers, N.Y./Selects Academy) stopped all six shot she saw in the first period to protect Manhattanville's 1-0 lead. Both goalies would be perfect in the second, with Gerardi making three saves while Winand-Bacon would see 19 shots, to send the game into the third with the Valiants still only up by one.

After firing 40 shots on net across the first two periods and only having one goal to show for it, the Valiants were finally able to break through Winand-Bacon in the third. Manhattanville scored three times on 15 shots to put the game out of reach. Gabrielle Cox (Niverville, NY/Ichabod Crane High School) did what she has done all season long as she doubled the Valiant lead to 2-0 with a power play goal 53 seconds into the final period. Meredith and Morgan Miller (St. Augustine, Fla./Gilmour Academy) would earn the assists on the insurance goal. Cox would strike again 11:25 into the frame, this time from Felicio and Kerry Carr (New Hartford, N.Y./Millbrook School), putting the Valiants up 3-0. The senior forward is now up to 27 goals on the season, tied for the fifth-most in program history for a single-season. She also ranks second in the nation in power play goals with 10 while ranking third in the country in total goals.

Manhattanville got one more courtesy of Annie Niedermier (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) at 14:18 into the third, with the sophomore's fifth goal of the season being set up by Virginia Birnie (Ontario, Canada/Rosethay Netherwood School).

As the Valiants built up the lead, Gerardi continued to stop everything coming in her direction. She would finish the night with 17 total saves, with her busiest period coming in the third with eight stops. The senior netminder notches her eighth win of the season with her fifth shutout of the year, her first since Nov. 19.

Manhattanville held a 26-22 faceoff advantage on the night. Miller led the way with 12 draw victories, while Niedermier added seven.

The Valiants were 1-for-6 on the power play, firing 16 shots on net with the extra skater. Neumann finished 0-for-4 with 12 shots on their power play opportunities.

Up Next
The teams conclude the regular season tomorrow afternoon with Senior Day at the Playland Ice Casino. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. with a pregame ceremony honoring the graduating class of 2023.

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