ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Opening the final weekend of the regular season, the Manhattanville University women's hockey team was taken down by No. 14/13 Nazareth on Friday night by a final of 9-0. The loss drops the Valiants to 7-15-2 overall on the year and 5-6-0 in the UCHC.

The loss was Manhattanville's largest margin of defeat since 2016 when the Valiants lost to fourth-ranked Adrian 10-0.

Olivia Cimorelli (West Deptford, N.J./The Hill School / Ironbound Elite) and Elsa Haakonsen (Trumbull, Conn./Choate Rosemary Hall) were faced with the challenging task of containing the offense of one of the top teams in the nation on Friday night. After the Golden Flyers won both meetings back in November at the Playland Ice Casino by a combined score of 9-0, Nazareth's offense was on full display to open up the weekend series. Nine different skaters lit the lamp for Naz on the night, with the home team striking three times in the first period before putting up a six-spot in the third.

Cimorelli made 20 saves in the start, allowing five goals across 47:52 on the ice. Haakonsen played the remaining 12:08 in the crease, making six saves and allowing four goals.

Manhattanville was limited to eight shots on goal in the contest, matching its season low. The Valiants were also held to eight shots in both of the early season matchups versus Nazareth and at Utica on Feb. 1. All eight shots came from different skaters, with Annie Niedermier (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame), Lulu LePage (Swansea, Mass./Elmira College) and Molly Sances (Billerica, Mass./Billerica Memorial) recording Manhattanville's attempts in the first. Grace Genest (Wake Forest, N.C./The Gunnery (Conn.)) fired the Valiants' lone shot on goal in the second, while Taylor Willoughby (Camrose, Alberta, Canada/John Maland), Erin Flaherty (Rockland, Mass./Canterbury School), Catrina Chinetti (Hyde Park, Mass./Boston Latin Academy / East Coast Wizards) and Jada Mackinnon (Barrington, Nova Scotia, Canada/King's Edgehill School) each put a puck on net over the final 20 minutes.

Nazareth also held a sizeable 34-16 advantage in the faceoff circles. Niedermier was the Valiants' top performer on the draw with seven wins.

The Valiants did not get a power play opportunity as the Golden Flyers played a clean game and stayed outside of the penalty box. It was just the second time this season Manhattanville did not get an extra woman opportunity, the previous also against Nazareth on Nov. 16. The Golden Flyers, conversely, finished 2-of-3 on the power play, scoring twice on five shots.

Up Next
The Valiants look to rebound and head into the postseason on a high note as the team wraps up the weekend in Rochester tomorrow at 3 p.m.

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