NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Despite a game-high five points from junior Carly Weiss (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac), SUNY New Paltz outscored Manhattanville College by a 9-3 margin in the second half to pick up an 11-7 victory over the Valiants in non-conference women's lacrosse action on Wednesday afternoon at the North Turf Field.
 
Weiss played a role in five of the seven goals scored by Manhattanville (0-2) on the day, netting three herself and also assisting on a pair, while also adding four ground balls, two draw controls and two caused turnovers. Sophomore Evaline Diaz (Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley) scored twice while seniors Sarah Dalsey (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) and Jenna Nance (Glendale, Calif./Glendale) added one each for the visitors as well.
 
Weiss played a role in all four Valiant goals in the first half, scoring twice and assisting on two more to help the visitors to a 4-2 lead at the half. The junior scored on her – and her team's – first shot of the afternoon at the 8:12 mark to open the scoring, and her second of the game gave Manhattanville a 2-0 lead at the midway point of the stanza. Two subsequent New Paltz tallies were matched by goals from Nance and Dalsey to put the Valiants up 4-2 at the break.
 
Freshman Bella Marchiselli (Williston Park, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy Academy) had an excellent first half for Manhattanville in her first collegiate start, keeping the Valiants in the game early by making four saves in the first 4:37 of the contest. She finished the half by making six saves on eight on-target attempts to keep her team ahead despite the Hawks' 10-7 edge in shots.
 
New Paltz (1-0) scored the first four goals of the second half against senior goalie Lauren Cassidy (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) to take a 6-4 lead with 21:30 to go. The Valiants got back within a goal on three occasions, with Weiss scoring once and Diaz scoring twice from the eight-meter arc to make it an 8-7 score with under 16 minutes remaining. Cassidy made several big saves to keep her team close, but the Valiants managed only four off-target attempts after Diaz's last goal. The final three goals of the game went the way of the Hawks, including a pair of free-position attempts in the final 5:30 that sealed the outcome.
 
Cassidy suffered the loss, ceding nine goals on 14 shots in 26:40 of action. Marchiselli made six saves on eight shots in the first half before coming back in for 3:20 of shotless action at the end of the contest. New Paltz finished the day with a 28-19 edge in shots.
 
Manhattanville is slated to open its home schedule on Saturday afternoon, as the Valiants will take on Centenary (N.J.) University beginning at 1 p.m. at GoValiants.com Field.