PURCHASE, N.Y. – Senior Sarah Dalsey (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) scored a game-high four goals on Senior Day as the Manhattanville College women's lacrosse team clinched the third seed in the upcoming MAC Freedom Tournament with a 13-8 victory over King's (Pa.) College on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at GoValiants.com Field.
 
With the win, Manhattanville (11-5, 5-2 MAC Freedom) records five wins in MAC Freedom play for the first time ever and also matches the 2009 squad for the program single-season wins record. The win also sends the Valiants to second-seeded Misericordia University for the MAC Freedom Tournament semifinals on Wednesday.
 
All the seniors chipped in during the final home game of their careers, beginning with Dalsey's four goals, three ground balls and two caused turnovers. AnnaMarie Nardone (Thornwood, N.Y./Westlake) scored once and also led the team with five ground balls and four caused turnovers, while Olivia Drew (York, Maine/York) scored once, caused two turnovers and controlled four draws. M.J. Caro (Nantucket, Mass./Nantucket) picked up two ground balls as well, while Lauren Cassidy (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) made six key saves at the other end of the field to secure the win.
 
In non-senior stats, juniors Jennifer Machin (Brunswick, Maine/North Yarmouth Academy) and Jenna Nance (Glendale, Calif./Glendale) both scored three goals with an assist for four points, with Machin recording a new career high in goals thanks to an impressive 3-for-3 effort from the eight-meter arc. Sophomore Diana Bajraktari (Armonk, N.Y./Byram Hills) also had an excellent game defensively with four ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers.
 
The first half was a very evenly played 30 minutes, featuring six ties and no scoring run of more than two goals for either side. After Dalsey opened the scoring, King's attacker Amanda Carroll scored twice to put the Lady Monarchs up with 4:19 gone on the half. Manhattanville's next three goals were all met with quick responses from King's to keep the visitors ahead. 

The Valiants then made the key run of the game, scoring four of the half's final five goals to take an 8-6 lead into halftime. Dalsey and Drew scored less than three minutes apart to give the team a 6-5 lead, but Tabitha Truelson knotted the score just 12 seconds after Drew's goal. However, Machin and Nance both scored their second of the game in the final 2:32 to put the Valiants ahead.
 
The Valiants carried play for much of the second half, outshooting the Lady Monarchs by a 17-7 margin and scoring five of the seven goals to secure the win. Manhattanville likely would have had a bigger margin of victory if not for King's keeper Victoria Zawacki, who made 10 of her 11 saves in the second half.
 
Manhattanville will spend the next few days getting ready for its first postseason appearance since 2013. Check GoValiants.com in the coming days for complete information on Wednesday's MAC Freedom semifinals, including a complete game preview.