RYE, N.Y. – Curry College's Michael Curran scored the game-tying goal with less than four minutes left in the third period and neither team scored the rest of the way as the Manhattanville men's hockey team skated to a 2-2 (OT) tie with the Colonels in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday evening at Playland Ice Casino.
For the second time in the last three games, Manhattanville played well enough to hold a lead late in regulation only to give up the tying goal with less than four minutes remaining. This time the equalizer came with 3:54 left on the clock, as Curran found the rebound of an Ian DeLong shot in the slot area and found the net for his fifth of the year.
Neither team really threatened for the remainder of regulation, and nobody was able to find the net in overtime as well despite a combined nine shots (6-3 Curry) in the extra frame.
For the game, Curry posted a 39-29 edge in total shots. Manhattanville had a 12-6 edge after one period of play, but Curry used a decisive 14-3 edge in shots during the third period to tie the score and swing the margin in the favor of the visitors.
Curry's Payden Benning opened the scoring 54 seconds into the second frame as the teams skated four-on-four, slapping home a shot from the low slot just before the Manhattanville net came dislodged for his team-leading 14th of the year.
But soon after the Valiants took advantage of a major penalty and game disqualification to Curry's Braeden Ruud to score twice and take their first lead of the game. With three minutes of power play to work with, junior Scott Hudson (St. Albert, Alta./Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL)) beat Curry netminder Joe Dawson on the short side from a tough angle to knot the score at one at the 3:20 mark of the period. A mere 41 seconds later, classmate Brett Skalski (Exton, Pa./Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)) also capitalized on the man-up chance to knot his fourth of the year and put the home team in front by a goal.
But the Valiants could not score during the remainder of the power play nor for the rest of the game, as the home team finished 2 for 7 on the man advantage. Curry was shut out in three man-up chances as well on the night.
Senior Pierre-Olivier Lemieux (Rimouski, Que./Neepawa Natives (MJHL)) turned aside 37 of 39 shots to earn the tie for Manhattanville, while Dawson made 27 saves on 29 shots for the Colonels.
Manhattanville (5-4-3) will return to action on Friday night, as the team begins a weekend series with SUNY Potsdam beginning at 7 p.m. at Playland Ice Casino. GoValiants.TV will have the live video coverage beginning at 6:50 p.m. Curry (7-5-1) will travel to #2 Oswego State on Friday for a 7 p.m. matchup. (Game Recap Courtesy of Manhattanville Sports Information)
