Boxscore

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Freshman Casandra Honovich (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) and senior Jen Ascencio (Monroe, N.Y./Millbrook School) tied for the game-high with four goals apiece as the Manhattanville women's lacrosse team used a big second-half surge to pull out a 15-12 comeback victory over Lycoming College in a Middle Atlantic Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon.

In addition to the four goals each by Honovich and Ascencio, three other Valiants had three-point days as well: seniors Darby Webber (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) and Emelda Ogweta (Portland, Maine/Kents Hill) and sophomore Melissa Goncalves (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) all had two goals and an assist for the visitors.

The Valiants struggled to earn many great offensive chances in the first half, and as a result went into intermission down by two at 5-3. Ascencio scored two of the visitors' goals in the opening frame, tying the score at the 4:23 mark and then finding the net just over seven minutes later to give Manhattanville a 2-1 lead. But Lycoming scored four of the final five goals of the frame to regain the lead, with only a tally by freshman Brooke Marcimo (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) breaking up the string.

The Warriors opened up their biggest lead of the game on the first possession of the second half on a goal by Meagan Pittius, but the Valiant offense woke up soon after to get the team back in the game. After Pittius' goal, the visitors found the net three times in 80 seconds to tie up the score, as Honovich netted an unassisted tally and Ascencio and Ogweta found the net from the eight-meter line.

A free-position goal by Lycoming put the home team back up by one with 23:49 left, but the visitors again went on a 3-0 mini-run to regain the lead, with Goncalves knotting the score at seven with 23:04 remaining followed 39 seconds later by Webber and then Ogweta 46 seconds after that.

Manhattanville continued to prove that good things come in threes later in the contest, using a pair of three-goal runs after Lycoming had tied the score to finally put some distance between the teams. Webber started the first run just 11 seconds after the home team tied the score at nine, as Goncalves won the draw control and fed to the senior for her second of the day. Goals by Honovich and Goncalves came soon after, putting the Valiants up by three with 15:08 remaining.

A Lyco goal with 13:19 left got the home team back within two, but three more consecutive goals by Manhattanville – two from Honovich and one from Ascencio – gave the team an insurmountable 15-10 lead with 3:15 remaining. Lycoming scored twice in the final 14 seconds, but it was merely cosmetic as the Valiants had the game wrapped up at that point.

Senior Kirstin Betsill (Parkton, Md./Hereford) had another good effort in goal for Manhattanville, turning aside 13 of 25 shots, including seven stops in the second half. The Valiants finished with a slight 34-30 edge in total shots, while also forcing 23 turnovers and posting a 33-22 edge in ground balls.

The Valiants also capitalized from the eight-meter line against the Warriors, scoring on five of their six attempts in the second half after going 0 for 2 in the opening 30 minutes.

Manhattanville (5-4, 4-3 MAC) will return home on Wednesday night, when the Valiants host FDU-Florham under the lights at GoValiants.com Field starting at 7 p.m.  Lycoming (1-9, 1-5 MAC) will take on Misericordia University on Wednesday at 4 p.m.