RYE, N.Y. – It was a frenzy of pucks on net for the Wesleyan women's ice hockey team as they picked up a 2-1 non-conference victory over Manhattanville College on Monday afternoon from Manhattanville's Playland Ice Casino. Wesleyan outshot Manhattanville by a staggering 98-27 overall differential.

The Cardinals (5-4-2 overall) didn't see their defensive zone too much as they dominated the Valiants' (3-8-1 overall) end of the ice, crowding Valiants goaltender Franny Girardi for all three periods. The shots on goal differential looked much like the overall shot count, 44-19. Girardi put up an impressive 42 save count for the Valiants, but it was Cam McCrystal '24 in goal for the Cardinals that came away with her second win in just her second start this season.

With 8:10 remaining in the second period, Casey Messina '24 struck for the Cardinals with her first goal of the season. Winning the puck battle in the far corner, Mairead Kennedy sent the puck out to the blue line to Kimberly Jung '27 who made the first shot of the play on goal from the right faceoff circle. Olivia Rubinstein '27 made contact with the puck at the right goal post and made a sharp backhand pass across the blue paint to Messina to bat the puck over the line.

Caroline Kee '26 gave the Cardinals a two-goal advantage with less than a minute and a half remaining in the second period for her fifth goal of the season unassisted. Kee picked the puck on turnover by Charlotte Stanwood out at the line and put the puck over the shoulder of Girardi from out between the faceoff circles on a heavy wrist shot.

Annie Niedermier did manage a breakaway scoring attempt to close out the period, but McCrystal denied the goal to send the Cardinals into the final 20 minutes of play.

The Valiants cut the score in half at 11:04 of the third period thanks to a goal by Harper Weisbeck.

Kee led the Cardinals from the faceoff circle, winning seven draws. Jenna Rekoske '24 was second with six draw wins.  McCrystal finished the afternoon with 18 saves in goal.

The Cardinals return home after a five-game away stretch on Friday, Jan. 12, when they host Bowdoin College in NESCAC action with puck drop at 7 p.m.