RYE, N.Y. – Olivia Cimorelli (West Deptford, N.J./The Hill School / Ironbound Elite) stopped 31 of the 32 shots she faced while Catrina Chinetti (Hyde Park, Mass./Boston Latin Academy / East Coast Wizards) netted her team-leading fourth goal of the season as the Manhattanville University women's hockey team opened a weekend series against William Smith on Friday night with a 1-1 tie. The visiting Herons were victorious in a marathon shootout that went 13 rounds deep, 1-0, in a contest that officially goes into the books as a draw. Manhattanville moves to 2-6-1 on the year with the decision, while William Smith moves to 3-6-1.

It was a phenomenal performance in the crease by the rookie netminder Cimorelli who eclipsed 30 saves for the third time this season. The lone goal surrendered was the lowest she has allowed through her first five collegiate games, with her 0.92 goals-against average and .969 save percentage on the night also setting new personal bests. Cimorelli now holds a record of 0-4-1 with a 3.33 goals-against average on the season and a .910 save percentage.

With the netminders allowing just one goal apiece through 65 minutes, it was no surprise that scoring was hard to come by even in the shootout. Cimorelli and her counterpart Erin Murray put on a show in shootout, both denying the first 12 shooters they faced. The Herons finally broke through the brick wall as Susan Rotherham gave William Smith the advantage in round 13 before Murray turned away Danielle Stadler (Zurich, Switzerland/Kantonsschule Wiedikon / GCK Lions) on the other end to put the skills competition to bed.

Prior to the endurance contest that was the shootout, neither team could find the upper hand through 49 minutes of play. The first two periods came and went as scoreless affairs, with Cimorelli making eight saves in the first and 16 in the second to hold the Herons scoreless. Murray was equally up to task, turning away all 16 shots she faced across the first two periods.

Manhattanville finally found an opening on their third power play of the night. After being held scoreless with a shot apiece on their first two chances with the extra skater, Kayla Ketchabaw was sent off for tripping with 10:56 left in regulation. The Valiants won the ensuing faceoff in the William Smith end, with the puck making its way to Danika Aubin (Guy, Alberta, Canada/Northern Alberta Xtreme (CSSHL)) settled at the blue line. Aubin banked a pass off the boards to Ali Joly (Pickering, Ontario, Canada/Dunbarton / Caledon Coyotes) who in turn fired a cross-crease pass onto the stick of Chinetti who was waiting to bury the puck into the netting and put the Valiants up with 10:49 left to play.

The Valiants were only able to celebrate for a short while as the Herons came back to pull even three and a half minutes later. Abigail Schum found herself on a breakaway after the puck caromed off bodies in the neutral zone and beat Cimorelli to the right side to tied the game up at 1-1 on her first goal of the season.

Defensive play took back over for the remainder of regulation, with both netminders making three more saves in the third to send the game to overtime. With a pair of penalties assessed in the closing second of the third, the teams played a prolonged 4-on-4 overtime once the minors ran out, with Cimorelli making three saves and Murray finishing the extra period with one.

The Valiants did not shy away from putting their bodies on the line as the team blocked 24 shots compared to six by William Smith. Annie Niedermier (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) deflected four shots one her lonesome, while Joly blocked three. Six other Manhattanville skaters ended the night with a pair of blocks.

Niedermier was also Manhattanville's top faceoff candidate once again, winning 21 of her 36 draws. The Valiants held a 38-30 faceoff win margin over the Herons.

Up Next
The teams will have a few hours to sleep off the shootout as they close out the weekend series tomorrow at 3 p.m. Manhattanville will dedicate tomorrow's contest as their annual Abby Harris Memorial Game with a special pregame ceremony taking place prior to opening puck drop.

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