UTICA, N.Y. – The Manhattanville University women's hockey season concluded on Wednesday afternoon with a 1-0 loss to third-seeded Utica University in the opening round of the UCHC Championship Tournament. The Valiants officially end the season with a 5-20-1 record overall, having made a 26^th-consecutive postseason appearance.

In a defensive battle, Utica took the upper hand on Tess Barrett's power play goal 17:44 into the opening period. It proved to be the only tally of the game as all three meetings between the Valiants and Pioneers this season had been decided by a single goal.

Manhattanville outshot Utica 31-22 in the contest, their first time outshooting an opponent since Jan. 31's win over Hilbert. Despite holding the advantage in offensive opportunities, Katherine Sheahan shutout Manhattanville in back-to-back appearances against the Valiants, earning a 1-0 win when the teams last met on Feb. 14. Sheahan stopped all 31 shots she faced, highlighted by 16 in the final period as the Valiants desperately looked for a way to prolong the season.

Wednesday was the fourth-straight game the Valiants went without a goal, last scoring 6:38 into the second period in the first contest against Utica on Feb. 13.

Sheahan's counterpart Olivia Cimorelli (West Deptford, N.J./The Hill School / Ironbound Elite) was nearly perfect, finishing with 21 saves on 22 shots faced. The book closes on a phenomenal season for the sophomore, whose 734 saves now stands as the program's single-season record. Cimorelli ends the year with a .926 save percentage and a 2.37 goals-against average.

After Utica held a 7-5 advantage in shots on goal in the opening period, the Valiant offense outshot the Pioneers 26-15 across the final 40 minutes. Manhattanville had its lone power play opportunity in the second period after Veronica Houk was sent off for cross checking, but the Valiants were held to just one shot with the extra skater as Ali Joly (Pickering, Ontario, Canada/Dunbarton / Caledon Coyotes) was turned away by Sheahan.

Manhattanville was relentless at firing pucks on net in the third with 16 shots in dire need of the equalizer. Colby Cantor (Norwell, Mass./North American Hockey Academy) logged four shots in the final frame, with Molle Sances and Abby Mellen (Rockport, Mass./Northfield Mount Hermon / Vermont Academy / East Coast Wizards) adding three each. Still, there was no solving Sheahan on Wednesday as the Pioneer goaltender stood on her head to complete the shutout. In a furious final four minutes, Sheahan made six saves while the Utica defense blocked three more shots to hold off the Valiants to the final horn, sending the Pioneers to the UCHC Semifinals to take on No. 2 Elmira on Saturday.

Cantor led the Valiants with five total shots, with Sances, Mellen and Danika Aubin (Guy, Alberta, Canada/Northern Alberta Xtreme (CSSHL)) recording four each.

Manhattanville finished with 32 faceoff wins to Utica's 28, led by 16 draw victories by Jada Mackinnon (Barrington, Nova Scotia, Canada/King's Edgehill School). The junior ends the season with 251 faceoff wins.

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