RYE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville University men's hockey team earned its first win of the young 2026-27 campaign on Friday night, defeating the University of Saint Joseph on home ice at the Playland Ice Casino by a final of 3-1. The Valiants improve to 1-1-0 following the first-ever meeting between the two programs, while the Blue Jays drop to 0-4-0.
The Valiants lit the lamp once in each period, with
Cameron Vassos (Caledon, Ontario/Navan Grads (CCHL)) putting the home team on the board 12:25 into the contest with his first of the year from
Brandon Paluszak (Powell, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) and
Tristan D'Elia (West Chester, Pa./Philadelphia Little Flyers (EHL)).
Dan Cardozo pulled the Blue Jays even two minutes into the second period, but Saint Joseph put themselves in a hole with four penalties in the frame. The Blue Jays withstood the first Valiant power play, but
Caden Eaton (Indian River, Mich./Cornwall Colts (CCHL)) made them pay on the second. Eaton won the draw in the offensive zone after the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty before getting the puck back from
Beau Depencier (Dresden, Ontario, Canada/LKCS) and
Ryan McKenna (Spokane, Wash./Sheridan Hawks (NA3HL)) on the tic-tac-toe pass, firing home a one-timer from the circle to put the Valiants back in front 12 seconds into the man advantage.
Eaton has now scored in each of the Valiants' opening two games of the season.
McKenna netted an insurance tally 12:57 into the third from Paluszak and Vassos, deking his way through the Blue Jay defenders to beat Tanirkhan Alpysbayev to the left of the net to record his first of the season with a beauty of a goal.
Nicholas Mele (Mohegan Lake, N.Y./New Jersey Bears (EHL)) earned his first collegiate win with 25 saves in the Valiant crease. The freshman made a game-high ten saves in the second and held the Blue Jays scoreless in the third with eight stops.
Jack Roberts (Middlefield, CT/Lyman Hall) was phenomenal on the dot, winning 12 of his 15 faceoff draws. McKenna won another nine as Manhattanville won the faceoff battle, 36-22.
Manhattanville outshot the Blue Jays 45-26. McKenna's five shots led all skaters, while four different Valiants—Depencier,
Ezra Zizmor (New York, N.Y./Worcester Jr. Railers (NCDC)),
Frederic D'Amours (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Canada/Odyssé) and
Trey Dionne (Long Lake, Minn./New Jersey Rockets (NCDC))—each added four.
The Valiants finished 1-for-4 on the power play with four shots while the PK unit held the Blue Jays scoreless on their four power play opportunities on seven shots.
Up Next
Manhattanville closes out the three-game season-opening homestand on Tuesday when the Valiants welcome Post to Playland at 7 p.m.
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