WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – After clinching a postseason spot for the first time since 2011, the Manhattanville College field hockey team is poised to make a run at its first MAC Freedom title in over a decade beginning on Wednesday in the MAC Freedom Tournament semifinals at King's (Pa.) College.
Manhattanville enters the postseason as the third seed after compiling an 11-6 overall record, including 4-3 in MAC Freedom play this season.
After starting the year 3-3, Manhattanville finished the year with eight wins in its last 11 games, including a win over reigning MAC Freedom champion Misericordia University, to secure a spot in the playoffs despite being picked last in the MAC Freedom preseason poll.
ONE COHESIVE UNIT: Despite having a roster of just 17 players, Manhattanville has found a way to work together and push each other to achieve the success that they have had this season. Head coach
Kevin Kelly has expressed the power of the small team several times this season, explaining that it forces everyone to work as a unit and to push each other every day in order to achieve success.
The small unit has had tremendous success on both ends of the field this season, scoring over two goals per game on an impressive .232 shooting percentage. Despite being pressured on the defensive end in many games, the defense has stood tall, allowing 1.75 goals per game while surrendering 1.73 times more shots per game to the opposition.
DEFENSE IS KEY: Although cliché, the Manhattanville defensive unit will continue to be the key to their success throughout the playoffs. Despite allowing over 16 shots per game and over 12 penalty corners per game, the defensive unit has been outstanding, holding opponents to a .107 shooting percentage. They are led on the defensive line by junior
Haley Linkroum (Deposit, N.Y./Deposit), who has compiled 10 defensive saves this season, ranking fourth nationally among Division III players.
Along with Linkroum, junior goalkeeper
Kaitlin Halloran (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East) has also been outstanding in the cage this season, racking up an .813 save percentage to rank 15th nationally. She has made 91 saves while allowing just 21 goals over 13 appearances in 2016 and her outstanding play will need to continue in the postseason.
Defensively, the Valiants have been outstanding defending penalty corners this season, allowing just eight goals on 201 penalty corner opportunities for opponents this season, a 96 percent defense rate.
DRAW CORNERS: Manhattanville has had one of the most effective penalty corner offenses in the nation this season as well, converting on 20 percent of its penalty corners. The team has scored 19 of their 35 goals off of penalty corners this season, led by the powerful shot of senior
Bregje Smits (Bussum, Netherlands/Willen de Zwigger College), who leads the team with 15 goals. The dynamic duo of Smits and junior
Melissa Stys (Pequannock, N.J./Kent School) have been a huge spark off of penalty corners this season.
Outside of penalty corners, the duo has guided the Valiants offensively as a whole, with at least one of them recording a point on 23 of the 35 goals this season, with Stys compiling 16 assists on the year, ranking 2nd in Division III in assists per game.
LAST POSTSEASON APPEARANCE: The Valiants have not made the postseason since 2011. The last time in the tournament, they were shut out 5-0 by eventual runner-up FDU-Florham. Manhattanville will look earn its first postseason victory since 2005, when they defeated the University of Scranton to capture for the school's first MAC Freedom championship.
WEDNESDAY PREVIEW: The Valiants will square off against the Lady Monarchs of King's College at 7:00 pm at McCarthy Stadium in the opening round of the postseason. The first time the two teams met this season, Manhattanville came away with a 3-1 victory in its home opener. The Valiants scored all three of their goals off of penalty corners, with Smits finding the back of the cage twice and Stys scoring one goal. Manhattanville is 2-3 in their last five matchups with the Lady Monarchs, having been outscored 15-9 in those contests.
FAN INFORMATION: Admission is required for all MAC Freedom postseason games. Tickets will be sold at the gate, and will cost $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, $2 for students with valid I.D. and children under the age of six will be admitted free of charge. And if you make the trip to Pennsylvania, you can check in via the Castle Crew app to let us know that you are supporting your Valiants!
For fans that cannot make it to McCarthy Stadium, live stats and live video will be available on GoValiants.com.
