Box Score
Utica 4, Manhattanville 0- Final

Utica, NY (1/5/13)- The Utica College women's ice hockey team snapped its three-game losing streak Saturday as it defeated nationally-ranked No. 6/7 Manhattanville College, 4-0 at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.  Senior Marissa Hotaling (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) stopped a game-high 27 shots for her first shutout of the season and junior Megan Myers (Las Vegas, NV/LA Selects) had a goal and two assists to pace the Pioneers.

UC got on the board with just five minutes remaining in the opening period as sophomore Nicole Schwartz (Danville, CA/San Jose Sharks) netted her first goal of the year off assists from Myers and classmate Courtney May (Oxford, MI/Belle Tire).  Just seconds after Manhattanville got whistled for a penalty, Schwartz won the draw back to Myers.  Myers fed it to May who fired a rocket on net.  Manhattanville goalie Mary Evans could not control the rebound and Schwartz was able to knock home the loose puck to put Utica up 1-0.

Manhattanvile came out flying in the second period and Utica goalie Marissa Hotaling (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) was called upon to make a number of big saves.  Within the first two minutes, Hotaling made a crucial stop on a partial breakaway.  Less than a minute later, she stoned Valiant forward Jessica Kehoe and Sydney Asselstine one point blank shots.  The Pioneers were finally able to break the puck out as sophomores Kelsey Dowdall (Smiths Falls, ONT/Nepean) and Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) went down on a 2-on-1.  Dowdall put a low shot on net that Evans saved, but the rebound popped right to Steele-Norton who put it in the open net for her second goal of the year. 

In the third period, it was Utica that came out hard, scoring within the first minute of the period as junior Meredith Tice (Hershey, PA/Washington Pride) tallied her first of the year, off a rebound from senior Carmen Johnson (Falls Church, VA/Washington Pride).  Johnson fired a shot from the right side that was stopped by Evans.  The puck squirted out to Tice on the opposite side who buried it.  Myers collected the second assist on the play.

Just five minutes later, Myers netted a goal of her own, shorthanded, on a great individual effort.  After stealing the puck in the defensive zone, she skated the length of the ice, cut in front of the net and netted her team-best eighth goal of the year. 

The Valiants were unable to solve Hotaling and the rest of the Utica defense as she turned away all 27 shots she faced.  UC improves to 5-6 overall while Manhattanville drops to 6-5-1. 

Manhattanville hosts Connecticut College, Tuesday at 7 p.m.  The Pioneers return to action next Saturday as they host the first game of a home-and-home series with SUNY Potsdam.  Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.


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