WATERVILLE, Maine – Claire Sammons (Naperville, Ill.) scored with four and a half minutes remaining as the Connecticut College women's hockey team hung on to defeat visiting Manhattanville 3-2 on Tuesday night from Dayton Arena. With the win Conn improves to 6-8 overall and 2-6 in conference play, while Manhattanville falls to 4-9-2.

It was a slow opening 20 minutes, but it was Manhattanville who got the first two shots on goal, forcing a couple of early saves from Alex Erdman (Lutherville, Md.). Bridget McGann (West Hartford, Conn.) put Conn's first effort on goal, but Olivia Cimorelli made the save. 

With just over seven minutes remaining, and the Valiants on the power play, Elizabeth LePage found Katherine Stahl on the back post who tapped it home to make it 1-0 at 12:40. The Camels evened the score late in the period on a goalmouth scramble. After Galen Kilfeather's (Wydmoor, Pa.) had her shot stopped, Kate Hagness (Madison, Conn.) was able to lift the rebound over Cimorelli to send the game to the first intermission tied at one.

The teams traded chances early in the middle frame, but it was Conn who broke the deadlock. With the Camels on a 5-on-3 power play, Lily Stern fired past Cimorelli off assists from Kiley Smith (Humble, Texas) and Sammons to make it 2-1 at 9:27. The lead was short lived however, as Manhattanville answered just under four minutes later. Ciara Dauer flipped a puck out to center where Colby Cantor collected, going in on the breakaway and tying the game at two, heading to the third.

Conn dominated the play in the final period, looking to win the game in regulation. The Camels outshot the Valiants 16-2 in the third, but Cimorelli kept Manhattanville alive. With just four and a half minutes left and the game looking like it was headed to overtime, Sammons answered. After collecting a puck in the corner, Sammons passed to Caitlin Pierce (Edgewater, N.J.) who fed it straight back to Sammons, making no mistake to put Conn in front 3-2. Manhattanville tried to answer, but the Camels shut down any chance the Valiants had, coming away with the 3-2 win.

Conn outshot Manhattanville 34-16, while winning 24 of 38 draws. 

Erdman picked up the win in goal, finishing with 14 saves. Sammons led the way with two points on one goal and one assist, Hagness and Stern both tallied a goal, while Ashley Engle (Basking Ridge, N.J.), Kilfeather, Pierce, and Smith all added one assist. Charlotte Harris (Ystrad Mynach, Wales) led the way in the circle winning eight draws, while Conn finished 1-3 on the power play and 3-4 on the penalty kill.

Cimorelli got the start in goal, finishing with 31 saves. Cantor and Stahl led the Valiants with one goal each, while Manhattanville finished 1-4 on the power play and 2-3 on the penalty kill.

Conn returns to action on Friday night as the Camels host Hamilton at 7:30 p.m. in Dayton Arena.