For the third straight season, the William Smith College hockey team will make the 50-mile trip down Seneca Lake to Pine Valley, N.Y., for a United Collegiate Hockey Conference semifinal contest. On Saturday, March 7, the Herons will take on Manhattanville at Elmira's Murray Athletic Center at 7 p.m.
 
William Smith brings an 18-8-0 overall record into the semifinals. The 18 wins match the program record set by last year's team. The Herons, the North Division's No. 3 seed, advanced to the semifinals with a 3-1 win over No. 2 seed Nazareth last weekend. The Valiants are 16-7-3 overall and were the No. 1 seed in the South Division. Manhattanville defeated Chatham 7-1 in the quarterfinals.
 
No. 1 overall seed Elmira will take on Stevenson, the No. 3 seed in the South Division, in the other semifinal. Faceoff in the first semifinal is scheduled for 3 p.m.  The winners will meet in the championship game Sunday, March 8, at 3 p.m.
 
Tickets for each game are $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens and students with ID. Children ages 12 and under receive free admission. Tickets will be sold at the Murray Athletic Center-Center Dome Lobby on each day of competition. A ticket purchased for the first semifinal game will grant access to the second semifinal game.
 
William Smith enters the weekend ranked among the nation's best in scoring offense (8th, 3.92 gpg), scoring margin (14th, +1.46), winning percentage (t-15th, .692) and power play (t-24th, 16.8). The Herons are one of eight teams to score 100 goals this season.
 
Senior forward Gina Scibetta leads the team with 40 points on 16 goals and 24 assists. The All-UCHC first team selection set William Smith's single-season record with 24 helpers and matched her own record with 40 points. Scibetta is fifth in the nation, averaging 1.54 points per game. UCHC Rookie of the Year Julianna Gong is second on the team with 34 points on 15 goals and 19 assists. She is second in the nation in rookie scoring, averaging 1.31 points per game.
 
Junior Olivia Williams has played a majority of the minutes in goal this season. She is 12-6-0 with a 2.63 goals against average and a .917 save percentage. Sophomore Amanda Aalto got the starting nod in the UCHC quarterfinal game against Nazareth, making a career-high 50 saves. She is 6-2-0 with a 1.99 GAA and a .931 save percentage.
 
Manhattanville has won six straight games since falling to William Smith 5-4 on Feb. 1. The Valliants enter the weekend with the nation's second best power play unit, converting 28.5% of the time. Manhattanville also ranks among the nation's best in scoring offense (9th, 3.73 gpg), scoring margin (11th, +1.88), penalty kill (13th, 89.8%), winning percentage (17th, .673) and scoring defense (19th, 1.85).
 
The Valliants are led by Tianna Lopes' 24 assists and 41 points. She also has 17 goals. Lopes is third in the nation in points per game. Amanda Sabia is right behind her with 35 points on 19 goals and 16 assists. Lena Flores and Taylor Elias have split minutes in goal this season. Flores is 8-4-1 with a 1.91 GAA and a .921 save percentage. Elias is 8-3-2 with a 1.65 GAA and a .938 save percentage.
 
Saturday's game will be the sixth meeting between William Smith and Manhattanville. The Herons lead the all-time series 4-1-0. This will be the first meeting at a neutral site. Three of the five meetings have been decided by a single goal, including this year's matchup in Rye, N.Y. First-year Mia LaPlante scored the game-winning goal with 3:19 left in regulation to lift William Smith to a 5-4 victory.
 
Fans unable to make it to the game can follow the action online with Live Stats and Video through Elmira's video portal.