PURCHASE, NY - Junior Emily Antinozzi (Rye, N.Y./Rye) put two shots in the back of the net and the Manhattanville College field hockey team put one in the win column Wednesday afternoon at GoValiants.com Field with a 2-1 triumph over St. Thomas Aquinas College.

A transfer from Western New England University, Antinozzi recorded her first goal as a Valiant less than seven minutes into the first half, ripping a shot across the box into the left corner off a long pass from senior Lisa Maxwell (Wassenaar, Netherlands/Maerlant Lyceum).

The Valiants attack, led by Antinozzi, Maxwell, sophomore Ameerah Thomas (Norfolk, Va./Granby), and sophomore Robin Boot (Bedum, Netherlands/H.N. Werkman College), controlled the better part of the first half, keeping the offensive pressure on the Spartans. The Valiant defense, led by junior Brooke Hadgraft (Sandy Hook, Conn./Newtown) and senior Haley Linkroum (Deposit, N.Y./Deposit), held St. Thomas Aquinas to just four shots in the opening 35 minutes.

Just over 10 minutes into the second half, the Spartans' Jacqueline Dowling ripped a shot from the right that found its way through numerous bodies in front and past senior goalkeeper Kaitlin Halloran (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East), tying the game at one.

The Valiants broke through a second time in the 52rd minute mark a Maxwell shot from the right side rebounded to Antinozzi, who knocked home her second goal of the day for a 2-1 Manhattanville lead. That would be the final goal allowed by either side, despite 19 combined shots and 11 penalty corners in the second half.

Head coach Kevin Kelly's squad will be back in action this weekend in the William Smith Classic in Geneva, NY. The Valiants will have back-to-back 11:00 a.m. starts this weekend, taking on the #18 host Herons on Saturday, then squaring off with the Saints of Saint Lawrence University on Sunday. The team's next home game will be Wednesday, September 27 at 4:00 p.m. against Ramapo.