SPARKILL, N.Y. – A pair of goals from senior defender Bregje Smits (Bussum, Netherlands/Willen de Zwigger College) proved to be the difference as the Manhattanville College field hockey team knocked off St. Thomas Aquinas College 2-1 Wednesday afternoon.
 
Smits' hot play continued Wednesday as she recorded her second multi-goal game of the season and fifth of her career.  On the year she leads the Valiants with five goals scored and two assists in five games. 
 
The senior captain gave Manahttanville (3-2 overall) the lead just before the 20-minute mark of the first half, capitalizing on a penalty corner to make it a 1-0 game.  The Spartans (0-5 overall) wasted no time leveling the score however, tying the game at 1-1 less than five minutes later on Kaitlyn Gutenberger's first goal of the season.
 
Smits had the answer for Manahttanville once again however before the halftime break, once again scoring on a penalty corner from junior Melissa Stys (Pequannock, N.J./Kent School) on what became the game-winning goal. 
 
In net for the Valiants, junior Kaitlin Halloran (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East) needed only one save to earn her third win of the season. 
 
Manhattanville continues its road run this weekend when they travel to Geneva N.Y. to take part in the William Smith Classic.  The Valiants square off against William Smith Saturday morning at 11:00 am before facing Saint Lawrence Sunday at 11:00 am.