UTICA, N.Y. – Multigoal performances from Ryan McKenna (Spokane, Wash./Sheridan Hawks (NA3HL)) and AJ Bella (Norwalk, Conn./Connecticut Roughriders (EHL)) were not enough for the Manhattanville College men's hockey team on Saturday night as the Valiants fell to No. 7 Utica in an offensive battle, 7-4. The Valiants drop to 4-11-0 overall and 4-7-0 in the UCHC.

The teams traded goals in the opening period.  Coming off their six-goal effort the previous night, the Pioneers wasted little time opening the scoring on Saturday as Michael Herrera scored a power play goal 1:37 into the game. It would take just six minutes for the Valiants to mount a response as McKenna netted his first of the night by way of Tristan D'Elia (West Chester, Pa./Philadelphia Little Flyers (EHL)) at 7:51. The game remained evened at 1-1 heading into the second.

The Pioneers shifted into another gear in the second as Utica netted four unanswered goals to jump out to a 5-1 advantage at the 13:14 mark. Bella put an end to the surge 24 seconds later as he scored his fifth goal of the year from Johno Hoins (Telluride, Colo./The Frederick Gunn School) and Raymond Speerbrecker (Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada/Revelstoke Grizzlies (KIJHL)). Bella would strike against at 16:16, this time on the power play from James Gregory (Darien, Conn./Connecticut Roughriders (EHL)) and Artem Mateichenko (Kharkov, Ukraine/New Hampshire Avalanche (EHL)), to bring the Valiants back within striking distance heading into the third.

Despite the Valiants gaining momentum in the tailend of the second period, the Pioneers received insurance tallies from John Gutt and Jakob Breault to reestablish a four-goal advantage with less than nine minutes to play. Manhattanville got one back on McKenna's second of the night and third of the season from Dan Barry (St. Louis, Missouri/Vermont Lumberjacks (EHL)) at 17:38, but that would be all for the Valiant offense on the night.

Sebastian Woods (Limehouse, Ontario, Canada/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) set a career-high save total for a second straight night as he made 48 saves against the seventh-ranked team in the nation. The Valiants' sophomore goaltender made double-digit saves in each period, led by 19 in the first.

Utica dominated the faceoff battle once again, winning 48 of the game's 76 draws. Lane Paddison (100 Mile House, Canada/Canmore Eagles (AJHL)) led the Manhattanville effort with nine faceoff wins.

The Valiants were successful on their lone power play on the night, scoring on their second shot with the man advantage. Manhattanville also limited Utica's damage done with the man advantage as the penalty kill unit went 4-for-5 with 12 shots allowed.

Up Next
The Valiants look to snap their skid and pick up the first win of 2024 as the team returns home on Friday to begin a series against Nazareth at 7 p.m.

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