PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College field hockey team won its first ever New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) match on Saturday, Oct. 5. The Valiants shutout Elms College 3-0 earning their fourth win in a row.
 
The Valiants (8-3) were hungry from the beginning, they started the game with six shots in three minutes.  On the seventh shot, senior Robin Boot (Bedum, Netherlands/H.N. Werkman College) dribbled the ball into the circle, weaved around her defenders, took a reverse shot and found the back of the net. Boot secured the Valiants first NECC goal and her first of the season.  
Manhattanville continued their aggressive drive a minute later down the field. Junior Lexi Crites (Middleboro, Mass./Kents Hill School) found the ball in the circle and pushed her shot past the Blazers (3-8) defense. Crites' goal gave the Valiants a two-goal cushion early in the first quarter.
 
Elms tried to rebuttal Manhattanville in the second but junior Elaina Nacinovich (Patterson, N.Y./Carmel) was able to deny the shot sent her way. Early in the third quarter Crites passed in a penalty corner attempt to Boot. Boot passed the ball over to senior Ameerah Thomas (Norfolk, Va./Granby) who then drove the ball on net. Freshman Ava Panzer (Pawling, N.Y./Pawling) was able to deflect Thomas' ball past the Blazers increasing the score 3-0.
 
To keep the Valiants ahead in the fourth quarter sophomore Raquel Brown (Claymont, Del./Brandywine) blocked a shot sent by Elms and Nacinovich tallied another save.
 
The Valiants will continue playing on GoValiants.com Field tomorrow Oct. 6, at 12:00 p.m. as they host Thomas College.