PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's lacrosse team played its sixth one-goal game of the season on Wednesday afternoon, but the Valiants could not pull out the victory as the Valiants fell to Wilkes University by a 12-11 (OT) score in MAC Freedom action on Wednesday afternoon at GoValiants.com Field.
 
Manhattanville (5-10, 0-5 MAC Freedom) put a scare in the postseason-bound Lady Colonels, holding a 41-34 edge in total shots. The Valiant defense, led by junior Olivia Drew (York, Maine/York), also did an excellent job on the nation's leading scorer, Madeleine Brownsey, limiting her to just two goals on seven shots - her second-lowest scoring output of the year.
 
However, Wilkes (12-4, 4-2 MAC Freedom) got five goals from Tori Kerr as well as three goals and an assist from Jessyca Held, including Held's game-winner from the eight-meter arc 1:18 into overtime.
 
The Valiants were led by freshman Kat Reilly (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem North), who scored a season-high five goals on 14 shots and also tied for the team-high with six ground balls. Sophomore Carly Weiss (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) added three goals and an assist, while freshman Evaline Diaz (Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley) had six ground balls and sophomore Shaniya Jones (Naugatuck, Conn./Chase Collegiate School) chipped in four ground balls and three caused turnovers to aid the defensive effort.
 
Reilly scored the first two goals of the game for Manhattanville to keep the score tied at two 6:47 into the opening frame, but Wilkes scored four of the last six goals of the half to take a 6-4 lead into the intermission.
 
Held scored her first of the game to put the Lady Colonels up 7-4 80 seconds into the second half, but Manhattanville stormed back with four straight goals – two each from Reilly and Weiss – in less than three minutes to take an 8-7 lead with 24:55 left.
 
A 4-1 run put Wilkes back up 11-9 with 9:17 remaining on the clock, but Reilly and Weiss again struck in tandem 42 seconds apart to tie the score at 11. Both teams had chances to retake the lead in regulation but could not score, with Manhattanville staging a nearly three-minute defensive stand to close the half and send the game to overtime.
 
Manhattanville controlled the draw to start overtime and had the first good chance, but Tabitha Gravius turned aside a free-position attempt and Wilkes came back down the field, with Held eventually earning a free-position shot of her own that she buried for the game-winner.
 
Both goaltenders played very well on the afternoon, with Gravius making 19 saves and Valiant junior Lauren Cassidy (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) stopping 17 shots in 61:18 of action.
 
Manhattanville will close out the 2016 season on Saturday, when the team celebrates Senior Day before a 1 p.m. MAC Freedom matchup with Delaware Valley University.