PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College field hockey team completed the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) regular-season with a perfect 7-0 record, thus earning the No. 1 overall seed in the 2019 NECC Field Hockey Championship, as well as the right two host the semifinal and final rounds. The Valiants took that momentum and put it right into fifth-seeded New England College on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 9, defeating the Pilgrims 2-0 on GoValiants.com Field.
 
The victory for Manhattanville (16-3) was its 16th of the season, setting a new single-season win record for a program that has been in existence at the varsity level since 1978. The Valiants got it started early against the Pilgrims (9-10) as senior forward Ameerah Thomas (Norfolk, Va./Granby) scored off a penalty corner in the second minute of the game. Freshman midfielder Ava Panzer (Pawling, N.Y./Pawling) sent the ball in, senior midfielder and NECC Player of the Year Robin Boot (Bedum, Netherlands/H.N. Werkman College) received the pass at the top, sent it over to Thomas, who wound up and hit the ball into the back-left of the cage to make it 1-0. Thomas now has 17 goals and 40 points on the season, both of which rank fifth in the program's single-season record book.
 
Toward the end of the second quarter, junior forward Arnise King (Wilmington, Del./Concord) got another one for the Valiants, giving them some insurance at 2-0 with just over 4:00 remaining in the half. Boot dribble the ball all the way through to the New England defensive zone, reverse swept a shot on goal that was saved. King immediately jumped on the rebound opportunity and put it in the cage.
 
The Crimson and White ultimately held that 2-0 advantage through the final two quarters of play and emerged victorious to qualify for their first conference tournament championship game since 2005. That season the Valiants won the Freedom Title and went to NCAAs for the one and only time in program history.
 
The squad will return to action tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, Nov. 10, for the NECC Championship Game against No. 2 seed Thomas College at 12:00 p.m. The Valiants defeated the Terriers 2-1 during their regular-season meeting back on Sunday, Oct. 6, also on GoValiants.com Field. Thomas defeated No. 3 University of Maine-Farmington 4-1 in today's second semifinal contest.