Box Score PURCHASE, N.Y. - The Manhattanville field hockey team improved to 3-2 on the season with a decisive 5-2 victory over the visiting Mercy College Mavericks on Wednesday afternoon at GoValiants.com Field.

Senior Amanda DeChent (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) scored her second hat trick of the season to lead the Valiants. Classmate Kirsten Savage (Harrington Park, N.J./Old Tappan) also continued her solid start to the season with a goal and an assist, while freshman Bregje Smits (Bussum, Netherlands/Willen de Zwigger College) also found the net for the second straight match.

Manhattanville dominated possession in the first half, racking up three corners and three shots on net in just over a minute span, 10 minutes into the game. Mercy senior goalkeeper Kristen Znaniecki was able to turn away the first three but on the fourth shot of the game, Savage scored her fourth goal of the season as she dribbled through the defense and scored on a shot low to the right side. Exactly six minutes later, DeChent scored her first goal of the day as she made a nice turn by a defender and fired a shot past Znaniecki.

The Valiants kept the pressure up for the remainder of the first half, holding Mercy to just a penalty stroke – and even that was turned away nicely by senior goalkeeper Amy Hilton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Kents Hill (Maine)). The pressure by the Valiants paid off again with DeChent scoring a beautiful shot to the top left corner of the net just 14 seconds before the half came to an end.

Manhattanville went into the intermission with a 12-2 edge in shots.

The second half was made much more interesting as the Mavericks began to put serious pressure on the Valiants, recording four of the first five shots of the half. The pressure paid off for Mercy as junior defender Danielle Jones was able to put a penalty stroke past Hilton. The Mavericks acted quickly, scoring again only five minutes later as junior forward Yolie Nyero capitalized on a rebound from a shot by senior forward Nicole Bencsik, which deflected off the pads of Hilton and over the goal line. Just like that, the score was 3-2 with 15 minutes left to play.

But the Valiants continued to fight, scoring four minutes later with DeChent receiving a pass from Savage and placing it to the left side of the net, completing the hat trick. Manhattanville was not complacent with the two-goal lead and continued pressuring the Mavericks, and the pressure paid off resulting in a penalty corner taken by sophomore forward Rylee McGuire (Grantham, N.H./Lebanon). She inserted to Smits, who fired a shot to the right side of the net, giving the Valiants a 5-2 lead which they would not relinquish.

Hilton turned aside six shots to earn her first win of the year. Znaniecki had eight saves in a losing effort for the Mavericks.

Manhattanville (3-2) will look to continue their win streak on Sunday as they take on Rivier College this Sunday at 1:00 pm at GoValiants.com Field. The match will be video streamed live on GoValiants.TV beginning at 12:50 p.m.