STAMFORD, Conn. –(Steve Sheridan, Manhattanville) The Manhattanville men's hockey team, ranked 13th by USCHO.com and 12th by D3Hockey.com in this week's national rankings, improved its perfect record at Terry Conners Rink to 5-0-0 with a hard-fought 5-3 victory over Connecticut College in non-conference action on Tuesday night.
 
About to embark on a season-high eight game road trip and playing their last home game until February 2013, Manhattanville (8-2-1) grinded out the win on Tuesday thanks to some opportunistic offense and a resurgent power play, which went 2 for 4 on the night.
 
Senior assistant captain Scott Hudson (St. Albert, Alta./Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL)) had a pair of goals for the second time in the last three games, while linemates Matt Coleman (Brentwood, N.Y./Springfield Pics (EJHL)) and Luc Van Natter (Fort Erie, Ont./Aurora Tigers (OPJHL)) both had a game-high three points, as the freshman notched a trio of assists and the junior added a goal and two helpers. Sophomore Anton Racklin (Gothenburg, Sweden/Fairbanks Ice Dogs (NAHL)) also had a goal and an assist, giving him a total of 13 points on the year that ranks second among Division III blueliners.
 
Connecticut College (1-4-1) was led by JC Cangelosi, who had a goal and two assists for a team-best three points. Dawson Luke and Keith Veronesi also scored for the visitors in a losing effort.
 
The game did not start out well for the Valiants, as the Camels had eight of the first nine shots on goal of the evening and eventually found the net at the 5:53 mark of the opening frame, when Cangelosi put home the rebound of a Mike Doyle shot on the power play.
 
The goal seemed to provide a wake-up call for Manhattanville, as the Valiants came back soon after with two goals in less than a minute to take over the lead. At 8:39 of the period, Coleman passed the puck from behind the net to Van Natter at the post, and he redirected the puck into the low slot for Hudson's easy put away. A mere 54 seconds later on the team's very next shift, senior Brendan Turner (Tisdale, Sask./Lloydminster Bobcats (AJHL)) put the home team ahead by a goal with his fifth of the year, taking passes from sophomore Mark Rivera (Belmar, N.J./Springfield Pics (EJHL)) and senior co-captain Brett Skalski (Exton, Pa./Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)) for the score.
 
After Connecticut College was whistled for a penalty later in the frame, Manhattanville increased its lead to 3-1 and needed only 10 seconds of power-play time to do so. After Coleman won the faceoff to Van Natter at the side boards, Racklin and senior Jason Bowles (Elkhorn, Man./Waywayseecappo Wolverines (MJHL)) passed the puck along the blue line before Racklin decided to rip a shot through a screen and past CC netminder Mike Petchonka.
 
After a scoreless second stanza, the goals came in bunches in the third period. The suddenly potent Valiant power play struck for a second time 71 seconds into the period, when Van Natter deposited the rebound of a Racklin blast into an open net for his fifth of the year.
 
But just when it looked like Manhattanville might run away with the game, the Camels scored twice in less than four minutes to make it a one-goal game. Luke scored a power-play tally from the right face-off circle at the 2:51 mark of the period, followed soon after by Veronesi corralling his own rebound and beating sophomore Alex Scola (Exeter, N.H./Woodstock Slammers (MJHL)) for the goal 6:24 into the frame.
 
Hudson would not let the game get any closer, however, as the senior netted his second of the night with a nice wrist shot from the top of the circle at 9:09 of the period. Sophomore Rich Meyer (Port Monmouth, N.J./Boston Bulldogs (AJHL)) and Coleman earned the assists on the goal, which gave Hudson the team goals lead with six and provided the final margin of victory for the home team.
 
The night concluded with Connecticut College holding a slight 35-34 edge in shots. Scola made 32 saves to improve to 2-0-0 on the year, while Petchonka made 29 saves on 34 shots to fall to 1-3-1.
 
Both teams did well on the power play, as Manhattanville scored on two of its four chances and Connecticut College was successful on two-of-five opportunities.