RYE, N.Y. - In the regular season wrap up, the Manhattanville University men's hockey team was held out by No. 4/5 Utica, 3-2, on Saturday night at Playland Ice Casino. With the result, the Valiants finish at an overall mark of 9-15-1 holding an 8-11-1 record in conference play. 

Manhattanville has clinched a home playoff match after claiming the No. 3 seed in the UCHC Men's Championship Tournament, hosting the sixth-seeded Brockport on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in the UCHC Championship Quarterfinals. 

In the first period, Colby Jaquet got the scoring started at the 4:14 mark in the period, after finishing a feed from John Gutt and Alexander Gullichsen, to have the Pioneers mount a 1-0 lead. Following the goal, both teams would be issued with bench minor penalties due to roster and lineup violations for 4-on4 hockey for the next two minutes. The contest would be held at the 1-0 mark as it headed into the first intermission. 

Utica would strike first again in the second stanza as Matt Wood would corral the loose puck in the neutral zone, and fire it past the Valiant netminder for the unassisted tally and the 2-0 lead 4:41 in the second. Lane Paddison (100 Mile House, Canada/Canmore Eagles (AJHL)) would light the lamp just twenty-two seconds later, as he tapped in a rebound from Mitchell Watson's (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Canmore Eagles (AJHL)) shot at the point and slicing into the Pioneers' lead, 2-1. Later in the period, the UCHC's leading scorer, Nicholas Rogers (Broad Channel, N.Y./Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks (NA3HL)), would add to his total, as he cleaned up in front of the net, from Ryan McKenna (Spokane, Wash./Sheridan Hawks (NA3HL)) and Justin Fernet (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Taft School), for his league leading eighteenth goal, and to tie the match at two-all. 

Afterwards in the period, the Pioneers would find themselves with the man advantage thanks to a slashing penalty on the Valiants, using the advantage to regain the lead thirty seconds into the penalty with Johnny Mulera finishing off a play from Aydin Parekh and Collin Patterson, putting the score at 3-2. 

Manhattanville would take control in the third period, outshooting the visiting squad 8-4 in attempts on goal. The Utica defense would clamp down and hold onto their lead, as the Valiants pulled their goaltender in favor of the extra attacker for the remaining minute and thirty seconds of regulation, turning away every attempt towards the net and securing the 3-2 victory, subsequently clinching the top overall seed in the postseason tournament. 

Sebastian Woods (Limehouse, Ontario, Canada/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) got the start in the crease for the Valiants, saving 36 efforts sent his way. 

McKenna, Rogers, and Cameron Vassos (Caledon, Ontario/Navan Grads (CCHL)) paced the Valiants in the shots department with three apiece. 

Utica held the advantage in the faceoff circle, 38-19. 

Up Next 

The Valiants now prepare for postseason action, welcoming sixth-seeded Brockport on Wednesday, Feb 26 at 6:00 p.m. for the second start time in the UCHC Quarterfinals. 
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