PURCHASE, N.Y. — The Manhattanville College women's soccer team got in the win column for the first time in the 2018 season, as they defeated their soon-to-be Skyline Conference opponent Purchase College 2-0 Saturday afternoon, Sept. 8 at GoValiants.com Field in the Battle for Anderson Hill Road.

The Valiants (1-2-0) controlled the action for the majority of the match, which remained scoreless until the 30th minute when senior defender Alex Gardner (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad) scored the first goal of her Valiants career, putting the ball past Purchase (0-2-0) junior goalkeeper Amber Yarter after two great passes by fellow senior Lauren Vallarelli (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) and sophomore Eileen Fiore (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Spackenkill) set Gardner up for the point-blank opportunity.

Manhattanville kept up the offensive pressure, threatening again towards the end of the first half, but junior forward Samira Davis (Brooklyn, N.Y./Kungsholmens Gymnasium) was unable to convert on a breakaway opportunity that would have put the Valiants up by two.

The Valiants kept the pace up in the second half, sending six more shots toward the Purchase goal. Then in the 80th minute with Manhattanville still holding its one goal lead, Davis found another breakaway opportunity after receiving a pass from junior Sunny Tonnesen (Oslo, Norway/EF Academy). Davis was able to beat Yarter this time, scoring the putaway goal that would ultimately give the Valiants their first win of the 2018 campaign.

Junior Bella Beltrami (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) and freshman Steph Shalhoub (Yorktown, N.Y./Lakeland) both saw their first action of the season in net, with Beltrami playing the first half and making one save, while Shalhoub came on in relief for the second half and stopping two Panther shots.

The Valiants return to action Wednesday, Sept. 12, when they host Kean University at GoValiants.com Field, with kickoff scheduled for 4:00 p.m.