RYE, NY - The No. 13 Utica University women's hockey team defeated the Manhattanville Valiants in conference play 3-1 on Friday evening at the Playland Ice Casino. The Pioneers were scoreless through two periods but pulled away with three goals in the third period to collect three league points. 
 
Carly Stefanini (Framingham, MA/Brooks School) led Utica with two goals, three shots and a plus-three rating. Kelsey Elliott (Attleboro, MA/East Coast Wizards) scored one goal and one assist on two shots and a plus-two rating. Hailey Modlin (Phoenix, AZ/Boston Shamrocks), Riley Calhoun (New Hartford, NY/Plattsburgh State University (NCAA DIII)), Jordan Kowalski (Chicopee, MA/Westfield) and Tess Barrett (Tewksbury, MA/St. Mark's) each tallied one assist and at least one shot. 
 
Angela Hawthorne (Santa Clara, CA/Meijer) got the win and 22 saves on the evening. She made two saves in the first period, 11 in the second and nine in the third. 
 
Modlin had a great night at the faceoff dot, winning 11 of 14. Best, Kowalski, Angelina Garganese (Winter Springs, Fl/Florida Alliance) and Calhoun combined for 21 faceoff wins. 
 
Manhattanville scored the first goal of the game with just over two minutes remaining in the first period, taking an early 1-0 advantage into the second period. Utica held the Valiants to three shots in the first compared to Utica's eight. 
 
It was a tight-checking second period, which saw zero goals scored in the 20-minute frame. Both teams combined for 19 shots (Manhattanville 11, Utica eight).  
 
Utica came out firing in the third period, scoring three goals and holding the Valiants to zero on nine shots. The first goal for Utica came at 0:59 as Elliot notched her fourth goal of the season. At 12:16 in the period, Stefanini got the game-winner on assists from Elliott and Barrett. Stefanini scored again with just under a minute remaining as Utica would go on to win 3-1. 
 
Utica (16-6-0, 7-2-0 UCHC) plays Manhattanville tomorrow, Feb. 15 at 4:30 p.m. at the Playland Ice Casino.