PURCHASE, N.Y. – Third time's the charm as the No. 3 Manhattanville College women's hockey team advances to the UCHC Semifinals where they will take on the No. 2 Utica University Pioneers.
    How We Got Here
On Wednesday evening, Manhattanville knocked off No. 6 Alvernia University with a 4-0 shutout win. Gabrielle Cox (Niverville, NY/Ichabod Crane High School) and Grace Felicio (Holden, Mass./Wachusett Regional) would lead the charge with two points, scoring a goal and dishing out an assist each. It would be a scoreless first before Grace Genest (Wake Forest, N.C./The Gunnery (Conn.)) would score a power play goal followed by a Cox shorthanded goal in the second period. Felicio found the back of the net in the third period as Charlotte Stanwood (West Vancouver, B.C./Penticton Secondary) closed out scoring with an empty net goal. Making her second start in net, Paz Hassan-Contreras (Lansing, Mich./Okemos) would make 21 saves on the night to secure her second win and second shutout of the season.

The second-seeded Pioneers shutout the Chatham Cougars, 5-0 on Wednesday in the quarterfinals with an all-around team effort with goals from Erica Sloan, Jordan Kowalski, Callie McLaughlin, Kaci Ryder, and Maggie Rylott to make their return to the UCHC Semis. The Pioneers defense would hold the Cougars to 10 shots total as each that were fired at Angela Hawthorne in net would be saved.

Last Time Out
The Pioneers were last at Playland Ice Casino on the weekend of Nov. 17 for their regular season clash against the Valiants. In the Friday opener, a goal from Harper Weisbeck (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland) and a pair from Cox would result in a 3-3 final after regulation and overtime. Cox would go on to net the shootout winner behind a 44-save effort from Franny Gerardi (Yonkers, N.Y./Selects Academy). Hailey Modlin and Sloan would contribute to Utica's goals on the night. During the Saturday rematch, Cox would light the lamp once again, but it would not be enough as Modlin would score another pair of goals alongside Kowalski for a Pioneers' 3-1 victory. Gerardi saved another 30 shots through the series finale. This time around, the Pioneers will have home ice advantage at the Nexus Center where they have gone 11-2-1 through the 2023-24 campaign.

In last year's semifinals bout, Utica defeated Manhattanville, 7-1 holding the Valiants to only 33 shots. In net, Gerardi would total 46 saves while letting up a season-high seven goals.

The Valiants had the upperhand in the 2022 postseason meeting in the semis, winning 3-2 in overtime. Two of the teams goal scorers from two years ago, Annie Niedermier (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) and Cox, will once again be making the trip up to Utica, with Cox being the hero in that one with the OT winner.

Team Leaders
Manhattanville

• Points: Cox (33), Felicio (17), Weisbeck (15)
• Goals: Cox (23), Chinetti (8), Weisbeck and Felicio (7)
• Assists: Genest (12), Cox and Felicio (10), Weisbeck and Niedermier and Reyes (8)
• Goals-Against Average: Gerardi (2.58), Hassan-Contreras (0.00), Austin (3.05)

Utica

• Points: Whitney (33), Modlin (32), Sloan (28)
• Goals: Modlin (17), Sloan (15), Whitney (13)
• Assists: Whitney (20), Barrett (18), Modlin and Novotny (15)
• Goals-Against Average: Hawthorne (0.94), Brown (1.00), Esposito (1.27)

History

• All-Time Record vs Utica: 10-11-2
• Streak: Manhattanville L1
• Series Record at Utica: 6-7
• Last Five Meetings:
  • 11/18/23: Manhattanville 1, Utica 3
  • 11/17/23: Manhattanville 3, Utica 3 (MVL SO W, 1-0)
  • 2/25/23: Utica 7, Manhattanville 1
  • 1/21/23: Utica 3, Manhattanville 1
  • 1/20/23: Utica 4, Manhattanville 0

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