UTICA, N.Y. – The 2024-25 women's hockey season drew to a close on Saturday afternoon as the third-seeded Manhattanville University Valiants were bested by second-seeded Utica 3-0 in the UCHC Semifinals. The Valiants finish the campaign with a 7-17-2 overall record.

Making a seventh consecutive appearance in the UCHC semis, the Valiants went stride-for-stride in the first period with a Pioneer team that carried a No. 13 national ranking in the latest USCHO poll and a No. 14 slot in the DIIIHockeyNews poll. Utica held a 15-6 first period shot discrepancy, but Olivia Cimorelli (West Deptford, N.J./The Hill School / Ironbound Elite) came to play, turning away all 15 pucks she faced in the first period to keep the game scoreless through 20.

After their last two meetings midway through February went down to the wire, both sides looked to break through in the second. Utica continued to press the foot on the gas, shooting a game-high 19 shots in the second period. The barrage finally broke through on the Pioneers' second power play opportunity of the day, as Madison Novotny ripped a shot just atop the faceoff circle that found its way through traffic into the net. Ally Nolan and Jordan Kowalski picked up the assists on what would prove to be the game-winner.

Ten and a half minutes later, Utica struck again on the power play. The Pioneers fired 10 shots with the skater advantage, and while it looked like Manhattanville would survive the trip to the box with no damage, Kowalski darted behind the Valiant cage and found Hailey Modlin just outside the crease with a wrap-around pass who scored with one second remaining on the penalty. Novotny was credited with the secondary assist.

Manhattanville was held to just four shots in the second period, including behind held without a scoring opportunity on a power play at the end of the frame. Utica continued to take away the Valiants' looks in the offensive zone over the duration of the night, surrendering just three shots on net in the final 20 minutes.
The Pios added one final insurance tally courtesy of Molly Pedone with 6:01 left in regulation.

Cimorelli did all she could to keep Manhattanville in the contest, finishing with 41 saves in the final game of her rookie year. The freshman was everything the Valiants could have hoped for in her first season wearing the Manhattanville sweater, finishing with a 3.30 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage and 551 total saves. The save total is the fourth-highest recorded by a Valiant goaltender in a single season, trailing only all three seasons of Franny Gerardi's (Yonkers, N.Y./Selects Academy) tenure with Manhattanville from 2021 to 2024.

Angela Hawthorne made 13 saves in the Utica net, picking up her seventh shutout of the season.

Catrina Chinetti (Hyde Park, Mass./Boston Latin Academy / East Coast Wizards) led all Valiant skaters with three shots on net. Four other Valiants—Harper Weisbeck (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland), Ali Joly (Pickering, Ontario, Canada/Dunbarton / Caledon Coyotes), Annie Niedermier (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) and Grace Genest (Wake Forest, N.C./The Gunnery (Conn.))—each finished with two.

Utica held a narrow 24-23 faceoff advantage. Niedermier wrapped up her undergraduate career as one of Manhattanville's finest on the draw in the recent memory with 15 faceoff wins to lead the Valiants.

The Valiants finished 0-for-2 on the power play with just one shot taken, while Utica went 2-of-4 with 13 total shots.

The Pioneers advance to the UCHC Finals on Saturday, March 8, taking on top-seeded Nazareth up in Rochester.

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