ELMIRA, N.Y. — The Manhattanville men's ice hockey team fell in their season finale to the Soaring Eagles of Elmira College after a tightly contested match-up, with outstanding offensive play led by senior captain Lane Paddison (100 Mile House, Canada/Canmore Eagles (AJHL)), securing two goals throughout the contest.
The Valiants had the upper hand early, opening the scoring at 8:13 with a goal by Paddison after a clean feed from Lucas Baksay (Fairfield, Conn./Connecticut Roughriders (EHL)) and Mitchell Watson (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Canmore Eagles (AJHL)). Manhattanville adding a second goal from Tristian D'Elia with assists from Johno Hoins (Telluride, Colo./The Frederick Gunn School / Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL)) and Ryan McKenna (Spokane, Wash./Sheridan Hawks (NA3HL)) at 13:23 to lead 2-0.
Elmira responded with a pair of goals in 43 seconds as Nicholas Bennett scored at 15:12 followed in short order by Austin Jerzak. The Roaring Eagles outshot the Valiants 13-4 in the period with the game headed to intermission deadlocked at 2-2.
Manhattanville gained the 3-2 lead 5:34 into the second after a feed from McKenna and D'Elia found Tyler Rolston (Newport, Pa./P.A.L Jr. Islanders (NCDC)) for his third of the year. A minute and a half later, Paddison scored again from Baksay and Watson to spot the Valiants another two-goal lead.
The scoring continued rapidly as Elmira needed just 35 seconds after Paddison's goal to respond. The next tally came at 8:58 as Brian Essing (Trumbull, Conn./Norwich Sea Captains (NA3HL)) reetablished the Valiants' two-goal advantage from McKenna and Brett LoGelfo (Long Island, N.Y./Westhampton Beach).
After the first half frenzy, Elmira scored twice in the final ten minutes of the second period. Seth Ferguson made it a one score game at 10:51 before Brock MacDonald added the first power play strike of the day at 18:52 to send the game to the third tied 5-5.
MacDonald went on to be the difference maker in a one-goal third, scoring his second power play goal at 13:43. The Valiants were outshot 14-8 over the final 20 minutes and were turned away on their lone power play chance in the contest with two shots on the man advantage.
Making his final collegiate appearance, Tripp Clarke (Cazenovia, N.Y./Northern Cyclones (USPHL Premier)) made 33 saves in the Valiant crease. The senior ends his Valiant career with 445 saves across his four years with Manhattanville.
Caden Eaton (Indian River, Mich./Cornwall Colts (CCHL)) led Manhattanville's 22 total shots with four, while Rolston logged three. In addition to his three assists, McKenna led the Valiants with nine faceoff wins.
