WILKES-BARRE, P.A. – The Manhattanville College field hockey team suffered a tough loss on the road in overtime Friday night in their MAC Freedom Conference opener against the defending conference champion, King's College, 3-2.
Three minutes and 12 seconds into the extra session, senior Sarah Zbierski grabbed a loose ball off a blocked shot by Manhattanville (1-7) senior
Haley Linkroum (Deposit, N.Y./Deposit) and fired a shot from the left side of the box past senior goalkeeper
Kaitlin Halloran (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East) and Linkroum, who narrowly missed a defensive save. Zbierski's game-winner was the first goal of her career.
King's (2-5) struck early off one of their seven penalty corners, when a deflected shot in the box rolled to Kelsey Gabriele by the left post, who knocked in her third goal of the season. The Valiants were quick to respond, when a long pass from sophomore
Robin Boot (Bedum, Netherlands/H.N. Werkman College) set up a breakaway goal from junior
Emily Antinozzi (Rye, N.Y./Rye) just 53 seconds later.
The teams traded scoring opportunities over the rest of the half: Manhattanville senior
Lisa Maxwell (Wassenaar, Netherlands/Maerlant Lyceum) missed just left from the top of the box 12 minutes in, while freshman teammate
Arnise King (Wilmington, Del./Concord) had an open look from the right side of the box saved by Monarchs goalie Kayla Nailor just under 20 minutes in. King's senior Brianna DiMaggio had a breakaway shot stopped by Halloran 90 seconds after King's shot.
The Valiants took a 2-1 lead less than 10 minutes into the second half when Antinozzi knocked home a rebound off a shot from sophomore
Robin Boot (Bedum, Netherlands/H.N. Werkman College), her team-leading fifth goal of the season, all coming over the last four games. Manhattanville's defense held on to the lead until Gabriele notched her second goal of the game off a penalty stroke with just under 12 minutes left in regulation.
The Valiants return to action on Wednesday at GoValiants.com Field in a 4:00 p.m. non-conference affair against Ramapo.
