Box Score MADISON, N.J. – The fourth-seeded Manhattanville women's lacrosse team out-shot and arguably out-played top-seeded FDU-Florham on Tuesday afternoon in the Freedom Conference Tournament semifinals, but the Valiants could not capitalize on their chances and had their second-half rally come up short in a 17-13 loss.
 
FDU-Florham (11-7, 6-0 Freedom) advances to the Freedom Conference championship game on Saturday, where they will host second-seeded Arcadia, who defeated Wilkes by a 16-11 score in the other semifinal. Manhattanville (4-13, 3-3 Freedom) has its season come to a close with the tough loss.
 
Senior Melissa Goncalves (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) tied for the team lead in points in her final collegiate game, scoring twice and assisting on three tallies to set a new program single-season assists record with 32. Sophomore Mallory Bakst (Morganville, N.J./Marlboro) had a season-high four goals and five points for the Valiants as well, while junior Casandra Honovich (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) added three scores and a game-high 10 draw controls to extend her program single-season records in both categories.
 
Manhattanville did a good job of controlling the conference's leading scorer, Katie Rolwood, keeping her to two goals and an assist, but Sara Slicklen picked up the slack with a game-high five goals and seven points. Dana Amorosi also had three goals and an assist for the Devils.
 
The Valiants ended the game with a 36-27 edge in shots, including an 18-12 advantage in the second half of play. The Devils were bailed out largely by their success from the eight-meter line, going 8 for 9 on free-position chances.
 
Manhattanville more than hung with the top-seeded Devils and had plenty of chances over the first 30 minutes of play, but the visitors could not convert enough of their opportunities and went into the half down by three at 9-6.
 
FDU scored the first two goals of the game from the eight-meter arc, but Goncalves came back with two straight to even the score five minutes into the contest. After the teams traded tallies, the Devils ran off three in a row, including a pair from Slicklen, in less than three minutes to open up a 6-3 lead with 13:54 left in the half.
 
Manhattanville scored three more times in the half, but all three times the Devils came right back with a goal to keep their lead at three. Honovich scored two of those goals, becoming only the third player in program history to reach 200 career goals with the first one and moving into second place all-time in goals at the school with the second. Sophomore Kirsten Shaughnessy (Le Center, Minn./LeSueur-Henderson St. Peter) also scored for the visitors, keeping her 1.000 shooting percentage intact with her fourth goal of the year.
 
The Valiants finished the opening frame with an 18-15 edge in shots, but only 10 of those shots were on goal and just six found the back of the net.
 
FDU-Florham made a game-changing run to start the second half, scoring four straight goals to open up a 13-6 lead 4:02 into the frame. The teams traded goals after that, and the Devil lead was still seven at 15-8 with 14:44 remaining.
 
But Manhattanville did not go quietly, making one last run to put a big scare into the Devils. Senior Maggie Howley (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal Dougherty) and Bakst scored two goals each and Honovich added one to lead the Valiants on a 5-0 run that brought the visitors back within two at 15-13, with the last score coming by Howley with 5:30 on the clock.
 
However, the Devils controlled the subsequent draw and Brianna Capobianco scored a huge goal with 4:02 left to stem the tide. One more FDU draw control and another Amorosi tally sealed the game for the home team and put a heartbreaking end to the Valiants' season.
 
Freshman Caitlin Sosa (New York, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) made six saves for Manhattanville, while FDU netminder Grace Warburton made nine saves to earn the win.
 
Tuesday's loss marks the final collegiate game for the Valiants' five seniors: Goncalves, Howley, Erin Saporetti (Ashland, Mass./Ashland), Kelly Murray (Shrub Oak, N.Y./Lakeland) and Alex Pomato (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna).