RYE, N.Y. - In the kickoff to the 2024-25 slate, the Manhattanville University women's hockey team was bested by their ranked foe, Cortland 3-0, on Friday night at Playland Ice Casino.
It would be a slow first period for Manhattanville, only tallying in the single digits of shots off through the first 20 minutes of regulation with nine total efforts. The Red Dragons would pounce on the Valiants within the first two minutes of the contest, as Kira Cook would finish off a play from Kayla Persinger and McKenzie Brown in front of the net for the early marker.
More of the same would continue in the second stanza, as the Cortland defensive unit would limit the Valiants to only eight attempts towards goal in the period. Manhattanville's penalty kill unit would shine the second twenty minutes of action, killing off two penalties and limiting the Red Dragons to only one shot. Freshman netminder Olivia Cimorelli (West Deptford, N.J.) would stand tall in her first collegiate action, turning away all seven shots on goal. The score would hold at 1-0 in Cortland's favor as the contest headed into the second intermission.
The Red Dragons would add to their lead 46 seconds into the third period with Taryn Raisanen, as she was assisted by Meggan Cramer for the 2-0 advantage. Cortland would continue to limit the Valiants offensively, while peppering the goaltender in net, firing 13 shots on goal compared to Manhattanville's four. Later in the period, Katie Mahoney would give the Red Dragons cushion, lighting the lap at 13:36, for the 3-0 lead. That lead would hold as the final buzzer sounded.
Catrina Chinetti (Hyde Park, Mass./Boston Latin Academy / East Coast Wizards) fired a team-high three shots at Cortland's goaltender Molly Goergen, who stopped all ten shots on goal. Chinetti was followed by Ali Joly (Pickering, Ontario, Canada/Dunbarton / Caledon Coyotes) with two efforts, as Harper Weisbeck (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland), Lillee Dougherty (Wakefield, R.I./Portsmouth Abbey School), Abby Mellen (Rockport, Mass./Northfield Mount Hermon / Vermont Academy / East Coast Wizards), Ciara Dauer (Winchester, Mass./Worcester Academy), and Jada Mackinnon (Barrington, Nova Scotia, Canada/King's Edgehill School) rounded out the offense with one apiece. The Red Dragons outshot the Valiants, 29-10.
For the Valiants, Cimorelli would make 26 saves in the 59:56 spent in the crease.
Cortland held a 33-23 advantage in faceoffs, as Annie Niedermier (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) led with 14 wins and Mackinnon followed suit with four of her own.
Manhattanville would go 0-for-3 on the power play, only totaling one shot, but on the contrary, they would go 5-for-5 with their penalty kill unit, allowing five shots with the man disadvantage.
Up Next
Both squads return to Playland Ice Casino at 3:00 for the final contest of the opening week series.
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