ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Manhattanville men's hockey opened their second weekend of UCHC conference play with a hard-fought road match up at Nazareth University, ultimately falling 4–1 despite a standout night from goaltender William Billequey (Montreal, Quebec/Vermont Lumberjacks (EHL)) and a power-play spark late in the first period.
Nazareth struck first at 8:53 of the opening frame, but Billequey kept the Valiants within reach early, turning away a flurry of Golden Flyer chances. The junior goaltender finished with 33 saves, denying multiple high-danger looks and keeping Manhattanville in striking distance throughout all three periods.
Manhattanville nearly found the equalizer midway through the first as Justin Fernet (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Taft School) rang a close shot off the post. The pressure continued with looks from Beau Depencier (Dresden, Ontario, Canada/LKCS), Zach Choueiri (Montreal, Quebec/Renfrew Wolves (CCHL)), and Jack Cullen (Trumbull, Conn./Charlotte Rush (USPHL)), but Nazareth extended its lead to 2–0 at 14:41.
The Valiants answered back late in the period after sitting a man up from drawing an interference penalty. Manhattanville's power play executed with precision as Johno Hoins (Telluride, Colo./The Frederick Gunn School / Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL)) buried a shot at the net front for his second goal of the season at 19:04. Tyler Rolston (Newport, Pa./P.A.L Jr. Islanders (NCDC)) and Tristan D'Elia (West Chester, Pa./Philadelphia Little Flyers (EHL)) collected assists on the play, cutting the deficit to 2–1 heading into the first intermission.
Manhattanville generated steady offensive pressure in the second period, led by multiple scoring chances from Hoins, Rolston, Paluszak, Fernet, Corey Eaton, and Corey Popowcer (Parkland, Fla./Vermont Lumberjacks (EHL)), leading in shots on goal 10–7 against Nazareth. Billequey continued his dominant performance between the pipes, stopping shots from every angle to hold the Valiants down just one after the buzzer.
In the third, Manhattanville continued pushing for an equalizer, with Nicholas Rogers (Broad Channel, N.Y./Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks (NA3HL)), Ryan McKenna (Spokane, Wash./Sheridan Hawks (NA3HL)), and Paluszak each creating opportunities in the offensive zone. A tight defensive sequence held Nazareth in check until the Flyers added an even-strength tally at 15:10. With the net empty in the final minutes as the Valiants pressed for offense, Nazareth sealed the game 4–1 with an empty-net goal at 17:44.
Despite the final score, Manhattanville showcased resilience, power-play execution, and a strong defensive presence. Hoins' power-play marker, Rolston and Paluszak's multi-shot performance, and Billequey's stellar night between the posts highlight a determined group trending in the right direction as conference play continues.
Up Next:
The Valiants close out their weekend tomorrow as they face Nazareth again at 3 PM, looking to even the series and build momentum moving deeper into the season.
