Box Score PURCHASE, N.Y. – Wesleyan had 13 different players score and 16 players recorded at least one point as the Cardinals defeated Manhattanville, 19-10, in a non-conference women's lacrosse matchup on a sunny Tuesday afternoon at GoValiants.com Field.
Wesleyan used a varied scoring attack to take down the Valiants, led by Catherine Taibi with a game-high four goals. Madeline Coulter led all players with five points on two goals and three assists, while Audrey Le had a pair of goals and assists as well for a four-point day.
Valiant sophomores Britney Themistocles (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) and Casandra Honovich (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) paced the home team with four points apiece, as both attackers scored three times and assisted on another. Junior Maggie Howley (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal Dougherty) added two goals and an assist, while junior Melissa Goncalves (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) and freshman Ashley Hess (Mountain Top, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) also chipped in scores.
Manhattanville struck first on the afternoon after winning the opening draw, as Hess earned a free-position attempt that she converted 1:09 into the contest. But it was followed by a barrage of Cardinal scores after that, as the visitors scored 13 straight goals to open up a commanding 12-goal lead with 9:46 remaining. The Valiants did show some toughness later in the frame, scoring three times in the final six minutes, but still trailed by a 14-4 margin at the break.
The home team also looked better in the second half, as the squad established more of a possession game while keeping Wesleyan to limited chances at the other end. Honovich scored from the eight-meter line to open the half, and after a pair of Cardinal scores Manhattanville rattled off four straight to make it a 16-9 game with 11:40 left. Themistocles had two of her scores during the run, giving her a season-best three.
Manhattanville could get no closer than seven the rest of the way, however, as three straight Wesleyan tallies put the game out of reach.
Wesleyan finished the afternoon with a 31-17 edge in shots, but the second-half margin was much closer at just 11-9 in favor of the visitors. Senior Liz Cooper (Old Greenwich, Conn./The Forman School) made nine saves for Manhattanville in a losing effort, while Maggie Drowica (2 saves) and Lydia Kring (1 save) split time in the cage for the Cardinals.
Manhattanville (1-6) will now turn its attention to conference play, as the Valiants kick off their inaugural Freedom Conference schedule on Saturday with a matchup against Arcadia on 1 p.m. at GoValiants.com Field. The game will video streamed live on GoValiants.TV starting at 12:50 p.m. Wesleyan (3-2) will travel to Middlebury for a NESCAC contest on Saturday at 11 a.m.
