Box Score POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville field hockey team defeated Smith College by a score of 3-1 in their opening matchup at the 2012 Betty Richey Tournament in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The Valiants were led by junior Amanda DeChent (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) who had five points on the evening to lead the way.
 
Both sides played through a quick first half of the game as neither side was able to get a goal through the first 35 minutes. During the first period Manhattanville outshot their opponents by a 10-7 margin, as the Valiants were led by DeChent who registered four shots in the early going.
 
After the halftime break the Valiants got on the board first just over seven minutes in as freshman Rylee McGuire (Grantham, N.H./Lebanon) picked up her first collegiate goal from the right side of the goal mouth after receiving a pass from DeChent to put Manhattanville up by a 1-0 score.
 
Less than eight minutes later junior goalkeeper Amy Hilton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Kents Hill (Maine)) stopped a ball that was sent towards the goal by Alexa DeJesus. After making the initial save Kristen Estes picked up the rebound and sent the ball past Hilton to tie the game at one goal apiece.
 
DeChent picked up the go-ahead goal and her first goal of the afternoon at the 53:25 mark of the contest as she sent a shot into the bottom left corner of the goal to put the Valiants back on top by one. The junior struck again six minutes later for her team-leading fourth goal of the season after going five-hole on Smith keeper Savannah Lawson to put Manhattanville up by a 3-1 score.
 
The final 10:35 of the game clock ticked off as Manhattanville went on to win by the same 3-1 score. At the end of the contest the Valiants had a 20-13 edge in shots, but were trailing in penalty corners at 11-7.
 
Hilton earned her second win of the season against one loss as she made five saves in the afternoon victory. Taking the loss for Smith was Lawson, who made 10 saves while yielding all three Valiant tallies on the afternoon.
 
Manhattanville (2-2) will look to get above the .500 mark on the season when they play in a re-match of the 2011 Betty Richey Finals when they play host school Vassar College at 1:00 p.m., as they defend the title that they had won a season ago. Smith will finish off in the consolation game against Bay Path.