EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – Sophomore Arianna Kreush (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) scored a season-high five goals, all coming during a furious second-half rally, but in the end the Manhattanville College women's lacrosse team came up just short in a 17-14 loss to Wilkes University in Freedom Conference action on Tuesday afternoon at Artillery Park.

The loss officially eliminates Manhattanville (4-10, 1-4 Freedom) from postseason contention and drops the Valiants into a tie for fifth place in the conference with Wilkes (9-5, 1-4 Freedom).

Kreush had a big game for the Valiants in a losing effort, scoring a season-high five goals on nine shots. Freshman AnnaMarie Nardone (Thornwood, N.Y./Westlake) added four goals and senior Meghann Haggerty (Centerport, N.Y./Harborfields) chipped in three goals and a team-best five ground balls of her own.

Wilkes was led by Madeleine Brownsey, with a game-high seven points on six goals and an assist, and Tori Kerr, who had seven points as well on five goals and two helpers.

After Haggerty and Nardone scored back-to-back goals to put Manhattanville up 2-0 early in the contest, Wilkes dominated the remainder of the first half, outscoring the Valiants 10-2 to take a 10-4 lead into halftime.

Things did not look good for the Valiants after the Lady Colonel lead grew to eight (12-4) following two quick goals to start the second half, but Manhattanville was ready to start a comeback attempt. Kreush and classmate Sarah Dalsey (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) scored to get the Valiants back within six, but the deficit was still seven (14-7) with 16:44 left after Browney scored her sixth of the game.

Freshman Jennifer Machin (Brunswick, Maine/North Yarmouth Academy) scored from the eight-meter arc less than three minutes later, and that was followed by two Kreush scores 34 seconds apart to make it a 14-10 game with 12:58 on the clock. After Kerr scored for the Lady Colonels, Kreush bookended a Nardone free-position tally with two more of her own to get the visitors back within two at 15-13 with 4:42 remaining.

Kreush had two shots toward goal that would have got the Valiants back within a goal, but Heather Lorincz made two big saves and Jessica MacConchie scored at the other end to regain Wilkes' three-goal lead with 1:46 left. Nardone scored again to make it a 16-14 game with 1:12 remaining, but Manhattanville could not get another shot off and Wilkes added another in the waning seconds.

Wilkes ended the game with a 38-31 edge in shots, with both teams taking 20 shots in the back-and-forth second half. Sophomore Lauren Cassidy (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) kept Manhattanville in the game with 13 saves, six in the first half and seven more in the second stanza, while Lorincz ended the match with six stops.

Manhattanville will close out the 2015 season on Saturday, when the Valiants honor seniors Haggerty, Carly Brunco (Johnstown, N.Y./Johnstown) and Kirsten Shaughnessy (Le Center, Minn./LeSueur-Henderson St. Peter) with Senior Day before the team's 1 p.m. matchup with King's (Pa.) College.