Score: Elmira College 2, Manhattanville College 2 (OT)
Records: Elmira (14-9-4), Manhattanville (16-7-5)
Location: Murray Athletic Center – Pine Valley, N.Y.
 
PINE VALLEY, N.Y. -- It took 85 minutes to determine a winner in tonight's United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Championships Semifinal series, as the Valiants of Manhattanville punched their ticket to the UCHC title game. Elmira and Manhattanville skated to a 2-2 overtime tie, before the Valiants prevailed in a 20-minute mini-game, 2-1, to advance to the championship round.
 
It took nearly half of the first period for tonight's first goal to be scored, one that came from the blade of Elmira's Brent Lafayette '19. The scoring play began behind the Manhattanville cage, as Justin Robertson '21 won a puck battle in a sea of black and gold jerseys. From there, Patrick Schmelzinger '20 wrapped around the net before dishing it to Lafayette, who punched in the puck from just outside the crease.
                             
Lafeyette's goal sent the Soaring Eagles into the first intermission with a one-goal advantage, but the Valiants answered with back-to-back goals in the second stanza to claim a 2-1 lead.
 
Nigel Slade opened the scoring for Manhattanville at 6:29, while Jarod Lavallee tallied the go-ahead goal at 17:23. Slade sniped the top shelf through traffic, while Lavallee's goal came off of a rebound from an Oscar Arfelt shot on the rush.
 
It looked as though Manhattanville would prevail in regulation, but rookie blueliner Matthew Cousino '22 delivered the game-tying goal with 3:33 remaining in the third period. Cousino skated past several defenders from his own d-zone and, once gaining the offensive zone, laced a shot past Tyler Feaver to level the contest at 2-2.
 
Cousino's goal sent tonight's semifinal into overtime, but neither team was able to find the back of the cage, forcing a 20-minute mini-game to be played to determine the winner.
 
In the mini-game, Nick Ford '20 gave the Purple and Gold an early lead, as he tallied just 36 seconds into the period. Cousino and Connor Powell '20 were credited with assists on the tally.
 
Braeden Cross leveled the mini-game with a snipe at 4:23 on assists from Lavallee and Tristan Ramage.
 
With the mini-game coming to a close, Alex Rowella deposited the tournament-advancing goal with 2:18 on the clock. After winning an in-zone faceoff, passes from Bryan Platt and Lavallee put Rowella in the high slot, where he whipped a wrist shot over the shoulder of Jake Sabourin '21 for the goal.
 
Elmira pulled Sabourin from net for the final 1:12 of the mini-game but the Soaring Eagles were unable to find an equalizer, as the Valiants skated away with the win.
 
Sabourin finished with 29 saves in 65 minutes of action. Of his 29 saves, 14 were registered in the second period. Feaver ended with 36 stops, logging double-digit saves in each of the periods.
 
News and Notes

• EC's last appearance in a postseason mini-game was in the 1992-93 NCAA Quarterfinal, when EC beat Salem State, 4-0.
• Elmira and Manhattanville skated in the first-ever mini-game in UCHC playoff history.
• The Soaring Eagles are now 37-27-2 all-time in conference tournament games.
• EC went 1-for-4 on the power play while Manhattanville was 0-for-1.
• Cousino ends the year as EC's leading point-getter from the blue line with 14 (4g-10a).
• Cousino posted nine points across EC's final seven games and scored in both playoff contests.
• Lafayette's goal was his second of the season.
• Ford finished the season with a team-leading 39 points (15g-24a).
• Elmira's Class of 2019 skated in their final games as Soaring Eagles.