PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's lacrosse team made its long-awaited home opener a good one on Saturday afternoon, routing Elms College by a 23-3 score in non-conference action at a brisk and blustery GoValiants.com Field.
 
Eight different players scored for Manhattanville (2-2), led by senior Carly Weiss (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) with a game-high six goals and two assists for eight points as well as a game-high seven draw controls. Freshman Melissa O'Mara (Huntington, N.Y./St. Anthony's) led all players with nine points on five goals and four assists while adding six draw controls, six ground balls and a game-high five caused turnovers, while classmate Rosie DeBellis (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) also had four assists with three goals for a seven-point afternoon.
 
The Valiants dominated play in the first half, posting a 26-1 edge in shots and scoring the game's first 18 goals to take a commanding 18-1 edge into the break. Weiss scored two goals in the opening 59 seconds of play, while O'Mara and senior Jenna Nance (Glendale, Calif./Glendale) scored twice each to put the home team up by six 10:42 into the contest.
 
After Weiss scored for a third time, DeBellis played a role in five of Manhattanville's next seven tallies, scoring three times and dishing off a pair of assists as the Valiants took a 14-0 lead with 9:25 to go in the half. Senior Christina Leva (Hawthorne, N.Y./Westlake) capped the first-half scoring with her third of the game at the 26:48 mark before Elms scored its first of the day to finish the opening frame.
 
Manhattanville attempted only 10 shots in a slower-paced second stanza, as the home team was content to limit its chances at goal. Senior Jennifer Machin (Brunswick, Maine/North Yarmouth Academy) as well as freshmen Kayla Telesky (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) and Grace D'Amico (Washington, Conn./The Gunnery) all scored for the Valiants in the second half as they closed out the victory.
 
The Valiants finished the game with a 36-6 edge in shots as well as a 19-9 advantage in draw controls. Junior Alex Breen (South Windsor, Conn./Kingswood Oxford School) made two saves to pick up the win for Manhattanville.
 
The Valiants are slated to be back in action on Tuesday, when the team continues non-conference play at St. Joseph's (L.I.) College beginning at 5:30 p.m.