WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass - The Williams College men’s hockey team went up 1-0 in the first period, only to surrender two third period goals and fall to visiting Manhattanville College 3-1 in their home opener Sunday. The sixth-ranked Valiants used two goals from Kevin Maresco to avoid the upset.
The Ephs (1-3), coming off a dramatic overtime victory over Utica College, picked up where they left off early again the Valiants. Showing great intensity, they created several excellent scoring opportunities while controlling the puck and forcing play out of their end. The effort paid off when a power play exposed the Manhattanville defense to a quick succession of passes which culminated in a Steve Bruch midrange slap shot that slipped past the stick of Valiant goaltender Sergiy Sorokolat (33 saves). Making the score 1-0 with just under four minutes remaining in the period.
The Ephs ended the period with 16 to 11 shot advantage, but the all-Eph start was marred by a personal foul with only 33 seconds remaining that would force the Ephs to play a man-down for the first 4:26 of the second period.
The extended power play presented just the opportunity the Valiants needed to even the score, but the Eph defense kept the Valiants at bay and survived the ordeal unscathed. However, the power play helped the Valiants find their offensive stride, and they began to take control as they relentlessly pressured the suddenly out of sync Ephs, and bombarded the net.
Showing why they are ranked #6 in the nation, the Valiants put together a rapid burst of passes that ultimately found Kevin Maresco slicing across the face of the goaltender. The wide open Maresco fired the puck into the top shelf at the 6:23 mark, recording his first goal of the night and evening the score at 1-1.
Manhattanville (6-1-1) would put together several more opportunities in route to recording a 14-9 shot advantage for the period, but the stellar Eph defense and goaltending of Marc Pulde (32 saves) would ensure the game remained tied going into the final period.
This time it was the Ephs who would begin with the advantage, as they began the third period with nearly two minutes left on the power play. However, Manhattanville held tough despite tremendous Eph pressure, and restored their squad to full strength. The Valiant pushed back and got a power play goal of their own when another series of passes ended with Maresco’s second and game-winning high stick side goal with just under 11 minutes to play.
The threat of defeat catalyzed the Ephs and they began to frantically assault the Valiant defense, and appeared poised to net the equalizer, but golden opportunities by Brian Malchoff and Brandon Jackmuff were narrowly missed. The intense Eph attack left them vulnerable to a counter-attack, which Manhattanville eventually exploited with a two on one breakaway that Victor Nordenson converted with less than three minutes remaining.
The Ephs would pull their goaltender and continue to pressure, but couldn’t net a goal and the game ended in a 3-1 defeat.
“I thought we played pretty well; we moved the puck, played intense at times, and created great chances to get the equalizer - we just didn’t finish.” Remarked Eph Bill Kangas, “We just need to keep getting better.”
The Ephs next play at 7:00 PM Friday the 30th at home against Southern Maine.
