William Smith hockey built an early cushion and held off a late push from Manhattanville to earn a 3-2 non-conference win at The Cooler on Friday night. The victory snapped a two-game skid and moved the Herons to 6-3-0 on the season, while the Valiants dropped to 2-6-1.
Three different Herons found the back of the net, and first-year goaltender Julia Echavarria delivered an impressive collegiate debut with 39 saves. William Smith carried a 37-32 edge in shots and finished 0-for-2 on the power play, while Manhattanville converted once on seven opportunities.
The Herons opened the scoring late in the first period when Natalie May buried a rebound in the slot for her first collegiate goal. The lead grew early in the second when Rowan Kennedy slipped a sharp-angle shot past the Manhattanville goalie to make it 2-0. Less than two minutes into the third, Finley Crosby added what became the decisive goal as her shot deflected off a defender and crossed the line for a 3-0 advantage.
Manhattanville fought back in the final frame, breaking up a clearing attempt before Molly Sances scored from the high slot to cut the deficit to two. The Valiants made it a one-goal game with under five minutes left when Colby Cantor redirected a point shot, but Echavarria and the Herons held firm through the closing minutes.
The teams conclude their weekend series Saturday at 4 p.m. at The Cooler.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].