Rye, NY – Thanks to two power play goals, the Manhattanville Valiants picked up a win today by defeating the visiting Castleton State Spartans, 3-0. With the win the Valiants improve to 9-1-0 in the ECAC East and 10-3-1 overall. Freshman goalie Sophia Kokkonis ( East Meadow, N.Y.) posted her fourth shutout, stopping seven shots, and is yet to let in a goal this season.
Despite out shooting the Spartans, 62-7, the Valiants were only able to tally a goal a period but it was enough to get the victory.
In the first period, Castleton State goalie Vanessa Carter saw a ton of action making 27 saves. The Spartans struggled to get the puck out of their end as Manhattanville controlled the game and constantly attacked the goal.
The Valiants were finally able to break through when freshman Jena Danzig ( Hicksville, N.Y.) tallied her second goal of the season. Junior Jamie Longo (Great Kills, N.Y.) took a shot that Carterwas able to push away where sophomore Natalie Zitek ( Charleston, W.Va.) was there for the rebound and found Danzig who put it home for the game winner. Carter would keep the Spartans in the game though as the teams would head into the locker room with the Valiants ahead 1-0.
In the second period, Manhattanville was able to sneak a power play goal by Carter, when Zitek would notch her fifth goal of the season with just under nine minutes to play in the period. Sophomore Alex Blackwell ( Brewster, N.Y.) picked up her 11 th assist on the goal and defensemen junior Dani Poupart (Fernie, B.C.) got her third assist. Carter continued to turn all the Valiant shots away. The Valiants out shot the Spartans 23-3 in the second period.
The third period was the same as the first two with the Valiants pounding the goal but were only able to come away with one goal. Blackwell was able to find the back of the net for her team leading 12 th goal of the season, thanks to an assist from Longo.
Carter stopped 62 shots for the Spartans (4-12-0, 2-10-0 ECAC East), who were out-shot 27-3 in the first period and 15-1 in the third.
Seventh-ranked Manhattanville (10-3-1, 9-1-0 ECAC East) will be back on the ice on Friday, Jan. 19 as they travel to face Saint Anselm at 7 p.m. The Valiants will be trying to avenge an earlier season loss to the Hawks, where Manhattanville was downed 5-1.
