RYE, N.Y. - For the second straight day, the two mascots who don armor battled to the very end of the contest, as the Manhattanville University men's hockey team fell to Fifth-ranked Geneseo, 4-3, in a nip-and-tuck overtime clash. The Valiants collected a point in UCHC play, seeing their season record sit at 6-12-1, and a 5-8-1 record in conference play.
Hanging tough with the nationally ranked squad in the first period, matching their output in shots, 12-11. The Knights then outshot the Valiants in the remaining periods, 38-16, clawing back into the contest with their offensive output.
In the first period, the Valiants opened up the scoring with Zach Choueiri (Montreal, Quebec/Renfrew Wolves (CCHL)) sitting near-post collecting a rebound off the pad of the Knight's netminder after Corey Popowcer (Parkland, Fla./Vermont Lumberjacks (EHL)) fired in an effort toward the net, to have the Valiants mount a 1-0 lead 11:59 into the first. Peter Morgan would level the score after corralling a loose puck in the Knights' offensive zone, slotting it past the goaltender, and tying things at one apiece.
As the second stanza was underway, the Valiants would find themselves with the man advantage thanks to a holding penalty on Geneseo. Popowcer started the breakout from behind the Valiants' net, finding Lane Paddison (100 Mile House, Canada/Canmore Eagles (AJHL)) who then flicked on to a darting Ryan McKenna (Spokane, Wash./Sheridan Hawks (NA3HL)), pinging off the left post and lighting the lamp for the 2-1 Valiant margin. Paddison would net one of his own almost ten minutes of game time after the second marker, after Lucas Baksay (Fairfield, Conn./Connecticut Roughriders (EHL)) carried the puck into the offensive zone and sent it towards the net, with Paddison putting in the loose puck, putting Manhattanville up 3-1. Geneseo would get one back before the second period Luke Munroe would get a feed from Cannon Green and Nicholas Kovacs to slice into the Valiant lead, 3-2.
Geneseo would take control of the third period, firing 18 shots compared to the Valiants' six. Manhattanville found themselves on the penalty kill on two separate occasions, but killing both opportunities with the man disadvantage. As time ticked away, the Knights pulled their goalie in favor for the extra skater, and it would pay off, as Morgan shot one towards net, and Filip Wiberg screening the Valiant netminder deflecting it for the tie game, 3-3 and forcing the contest into overtime.
In the extra period, Tommy Winn would get a cross-ice pass from Zach Purcell and burying it home for the 4-3 Knights victory in overtime.
Sebastian Woods (Limehouse, Ontario, Canada/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) got the nod in net for the Valiants, saving 46 shots sent his way, one below his season high of 47.
Popowcer paced the Valiants in shots, with five. Baksay, Paddison, and Nicholas Rogers (Broad Channel, N.Y./Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks (NA3HL)) followed suit with three apiece.
It was a close day on the dot, as the Knights edged out the Valiants, 35-32. Johno Hoins (Telluride, Colo./The Frederick Gunn School / Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL)) led Manhattanville in wins with 13.
Manhattanville registered a 1-for-3 day on the power play, firing five shots. On the opposite side of the ice, the Valiants locked down in the penalty kill, forcing the Knights into a 0-for-4 day.
Up Next
Manhattanville takes the trip up to Rochester, N.Y., to tumble with the Golden Flyers at 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 7.
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