Box Score GENEVA, N.Y. – Junior Amanda DeChent (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) scored twice for the Manhattanville field hockey team on Saturday, but it wasn't enough as the Valiants fell to NFCHA No. 19 William Smith Herons by the score of 6-3.
 
The Herons stormed out of the gates quickly and outshot the Valiants 6-1 through the first 15:12 of the contest, taking a 2-0 lead in the process as Taylor Cappello scored twice to put William Smith up early. Over the next five minutes of game time freshman Renee LaFosse (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) helped out her team defensively as she picked up two of her three defensive saves on the afternoon.
 
A few seconds after LaFosse's second save, the Herons were awarded a penalty stroke and converted as Annie Kietzman sent one past Manhattanville junior Amy Hilton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Kents Hill (Maine)) to put the home team up 3-0. Through the closing minutes of the first half, William Smith took two more shots before taking their shutout into halftime.
 
Just under three minutes after the start of the second half, DeChent converted on a shot after receiving a pass from senior Melissa Goncalves (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) to trim the lead back down to a pair.
 
William Smith was awarded a second penalty stroke at the 40:03 mark of the game, but Hilton was able to deny Margaret McConnell by stopping the stroke. McConnell redeemed herself after the missed 1-on-1 opportunity, as she helped the Herons regain their three-goal cushion less than three minutes later off of a penalty corner.
 
Senior Kayla Meenan (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) missed a near-goal as she hit one that banged off the post, fortunately for the Valiants the ball bounced right to freshman Rylee McGuire (Grantham, N.H./Lebanon) who sent the ball home to cut the lead in half again at 4-2.
 
McConnell picked up another goal via a penalty corner as she took the shot from the top of the circle and into the goal to give William Smith a 5-2 lead.
 
Manhattanville came back down the field in the 67th minute and DeChent sent home her eighth goal of the season after a scramble in front of the net. After the Valiants pulled to within two again, the Herons took back control of the game with another goal with under two minutes remaining to send the Valiants to the 6-3 defeat.
 
In the loss shots were in favor of the Herons at a 24-9 differential with shots on goal at a 17-6 margin. Penalty corners were also in favor of William Smith who doubled up Manhattanville 10-5.
 
In goal Hilton took the loss to fall to 3-2 on the year after making seven saves while allowing six Heron goals. For William Smith, Catherine Hare earned the win without recording a save through the first 35 minutes of play, in relief Taryn Little let in three goals while making a pair of stops.
 
Manhattanville (3-3) will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as they wrap-up their weekend trip to the William Smith Classic in Geneva as they take on St. Lawrence at 1:00 p.m. on McCooey Field. The host Herons (3-1) will take on Lebanon Valley at 3:00 p.m. in the final contest of the four-team classic.