RYE, NY- The Utica College women's hockey team fell to host Manhattanville College 3-2 in the UCHC Conference quarterfinal Saturday afternoon. 
 
With the loss, Utica is eliminated from postseason play.  The Pioneers finish the season with a 16-9-1 overall record.  UC has now advanced to at least the conference quarterfinals in 17 of its 18 years as a program.
 
The Valiants opened the scoring just over halfway through the first period as Tianna Lopes netted her 14^th of the season, assisted by Nicole Mensi.  Manhattanville extended its lead just 29 seconds into the second stanza as Amanda Sabia put in a shorthanded goal for her 17^th of the year.  Lopes and Ali Howard assisted on the insurance tally.
 
The Pioneers finally got on the board at 10:25 of the second when junior Ricki Haab (Stowe, VT/Stowe) redirected a point shot by Katrina Cornick (Mason City, IA/Rocky Mountain Roughriders) for her career-high sixth goal of the season.  Manhattanville regained the two-goal lead at 13:50 when Lopes and Sabia connected again, this time with Lopes finding the back of the net for her second of the day.
 
Utica cut the lead in half with just 45 seconds remaining in the second as senior Elizabeth Dohner (Highlands Ranch, CO/Colorado Selects) jammed in a centering feed from Lexi Stanisewski (Lawrence, MA/Boston Shamrocks) for her team-leading 13^th goal of the year. 
 
Despite sustained pressure by the Pioneers in the third period, Utica was unable to get the equalizer. Junior Bria Reilly (Hamden, CT/Brewster Academy) finished with 27 saves for UC, while her counterpart, Rose Pijaca had 31. 
 
Utica will bid farewell to seven seniors including captains Colby Begis (Little Elm, TX/Dallas Stars), Elizabeth Dohner (Highlands Ranch, CO/Colorado Selects), and Kayla Dion (Colchester, VT/Boston Shamrocks), as well as Noelle Capriglione (New Milford, CT/New Milford), Danielle Haasbeek (Grand Forks, ND/Balmoral Hall), Kirsten Johnson (Brockville, Ontario/RSL Midget Thunder AA), and Taylor Dion (Colchester, VT/Boston Shamrocks).  In four years, the class of 2019 compiled 67 wins, four straight conference tournament appearances, and advanced to the ECAC West Championship game in 2016.