RYE, N.Y. – Opening the final homestand of the season on Friday night, the Manhattanville University women's hockey team battled to the end against No. 12/12 Utica at the Playland Ice Casino, falling 3-1 following a third period surge by the visiting Pioneers. The Valiants fall to 6-14-2 overall with the loss and are 4-5-0 in UCHC play with three games left in the regular season.

Elsa Haakonsen (Trumbull, Conn./Choate Rosemary Hall) once again rose to the occasion against one of the top teams in the nation, taking to the crease for the third time against the Pioneers in her five career appearances. The freshman netminder blanked Utica over the first two periods and finished the night with 30 total saves to keep the Valiants up through the opening 40 minutes and in the game until the final horn.

Despite getting outshot 8-3 in the first period, Manhattanville carried a one-goal lead into the first intermission. Danika Aubin (Guy, Alberta, Canada/Northern Alberta Xtreme (CSSHL)) received the pass from Annie Niedermier (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) at the blue line and fired the puck towards the cage. Ali Joly (Pickering, Ontario, Canada/Dunbarton / Caledon Coyotes) collected the puck on her blade as she made her way through the low slot, chipping it through the five-hole past Angela Hawthorne to put the home squad up 1-0 with 2:41 left in the opening frame. The goal was Joly's fifth of her rookie season, bringing her point total up to a team-leading 11.

Manhattanville continued to hold the Pioneers quiet until the third period. Utica logged three shots in the opening minute and finally solved Haaskonsen for the first time on the night 59 seconds into the frame off Kelsey Elliott's goal from Hailey Modlin. With the game beginning anew, the Pioneers fired a game-high 17 shots on net in the period to close out the night. The consistent pressure paid off as Carly Stefanini put the Pioneers ahead at the 12:16 mark before sinking an empty netter at 19:06 to stave off an upset scare.

Niedermier and Catrina Chinetti (Hyde Park, Mass./Boston Latin Academy / East Coast Wizards) led the Valiants with five shots on goal apiece. Niedermier, who was skating in the 100^th game of her career, also was Manhattanville's top faceoff performer with 18 draw victories as the Pioneers just eked out an advantage on the dots, 32-31.

After scoring three power play goals last weekend in the sweep over Chatham, Manhattanville went 0-for-4 with the woman advantage on Friday night, being held scoreless on 14 shots. The Valiants were successful in killing off both Utica power plays, limiting the Pioneers to just two total shots.

Up Next
The teams run it back tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. as the Valiants take to the home ice for the final time in the 2024-25 season.

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