Boxscore

ST. DAVIDS, Pa. – Grace Griffith led all scorers with nine points on three goals and six assists as Eastern University dealt the Manhattanville women's lacrosse team its second straight defeat, 22-12, in a Middle Atlantic Conference contest on Thursday afternoon at Olsen Field.

In addition to Griffith's day, Eastern was also led by Christy Hild with five goals and an assist, Kelly Dando with four goals, and both Allie Fultz and Kendall Rood with three goals and an assist.

Senior Emelda Ogweta (Portland, Maine/Kents Hill) had a good game for Manhattanville in a losing effort, tying her career high with six points on four goals and two assists. Freshman Casandra Honovich (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) also had three more tallies, while senior Darby Webber (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) also had three points (one goal, two assists) for the visitors.

Webber got the scoring started off the opening draw, as she took a pass from junior Ashley DeMarco (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) and found the back of the net 42 seconds into the match. However, Eastern came back with five straight goals to take a 5-1 lead with 21:54 left in the first half.

The Valiants scored three of the next four goals, as Ogweta, senior Jen Ascencio (Monroe, N.Y./Millbrook School) and sophomore Melissa Goncalves (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) scored in less than three minutes to bring the visitors back within two at 6-4. But the Eagles responded with another goal-scoring streak, netting five in a row and eight of the next nine to build up a 14-5 edge with less than a minute remaining in the half.

It looked like that was where the score would stay at the half, but Manhattanville managed to build some much-needed momentum headed into intermission by scoring two goals in the final nine seconds of the frame. Junior Erica DiNardo (Rye, N.Y./Rye) made it a 14-6 score with her first collegiate tally, a free-position goal with nine seconds left, and Ogweta then earned the ensuing draw control and sprinted the length of the field to find the net just before the buzzer sounded.

After 30 minutes of play, Eastern held a 19-12 edge in total shots, with senior Kirstin Betsill (Parkton, Md./Hereford) making three saves and Eastern keeper Lindsey Corbitt making none. The Eagles also held a 10-5 advantage in ground balls, while the Valiants held the edge in draw controls, 13-8.

Manhattanville seemed to carry the momentum gained late in the first half into the second, as Honovich and Ascencio scored in the first 91 seconds to bring the Valiants back within five at 14-9.

But Eastern had an answer yet again, as the Eagles slowed down play considerably and took advantage of their chances to score three straight goals that put them back up by eight with 21:10 remaining. Eastern then outscored the Valiants, 5-3, the rest of the way in holding on for the victory.

Eastern posted a 33-24 edge in total shots for the afternoon, requiring Betsill and junior Carolyn Levine (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) to make a combined seven saves in a losing effort. The Valiants did manage to excel on the draws, winning 22 of 35 draw controls, but the team was done in by 22 turnovers compared to just nine for the Eagles.

Manhattanville (3-3, 3-2 MAC) will face its second nationally ranked opponent in eight days on Saturday, as the Valiants host IWLCA #20 Elizabethtown College at GoValiants.com Field starting at 1 p.m. Eastern (1-4, 1-3 MAC) travels to King's (Pa.) College on Saturday also at 1 p.m.