PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College men's lacrosse team went back and forth all afternoon long with Neumann University, but the Valiants ultimately lost to the Knight 10-7 on Wednesday, March 3, at GoValiants.com Field. The visitors scored the game's final four goals to defeat the home team.
 
The Valiants (1-2) fell behind 2-0 early in the first against Neumann (4-1), but with less than a minute left, senior Nick Delia (New City, N.Y./Clarkstown South) scored his seventh of the season to make it a one goal game. However, the Knights got one back in the waning moments of the quarter to give take the 3-1 lead after 15:00.
 
The second was all Manhattanville as the home squad outscored Neumann 3-1 to force them into a 4-4 tie after one half of play. The first goal of the quarter came at 12:41 when sophomore Nick Cornelia (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) found a slashing senior Ryan Leonard (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) in front of the net for the quick score. After the Knights took a 4-2 lead, senior Will Duval (Granite Bay, Calif./Granite Bay) held the ball in his usual spot behind the opposition's cage before finding Cornelia for his second goal of the game. Duval then closed out the scoring for the half with just 1:42 remaining. Junior Simon Boisvert (Pointe Claire, Que./Millbrook School) took a good clear attempt from end to end before sending a bounce pass to Duval in the slot for the goal.
 
Neumann started off the third with two straight to take a 6-4 lead – the visitors held that advantage until the final minute of the quarter. Sophomore Matt Schneider (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) scored his first goal as a Valiant with 00:52 on the clock. With the possession time winding down, Duval threw a prayer pass into the slot, Schneider snatched it out of the air and put it past the Knights' goalie to make it 6-5.
 
That tally started a 3-0 run for the Valiants, as they kicked off the fourth with another two goals. Delia scored his second of the game and team-leading eighth of the season just 00:37 in to knot it up at 6-6, and then Cornelia picked up his second of the game to put the Valiants up 7-6 with 10:17 remaining. Unfortunately, Neumann closed out the game with four straight to take it 10-7.
 
Highlights:

• Manhattanville outshot Neumann 24-21 in on-goal attempts. Senior Jason Frezza (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Portledge) made 11 saves in net for the Valiants.
• Duval and Cornelia both finished with three points.
• Cornelia and senior Conor Keough (East Longmeadow, Mass./Suffield) each finished with five ground balls, while Delia, Leonard and freshman Stephen Magarelli (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland Senior) all had three apiece.
• Duval and sophomore Kevin Rafferty (Yonkers, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) each caused three turnovers.

The Valiants return to action this weekend for a road game in Bristol, R.I., on Saturday, March 7, at 1:00 p.m. against Roger Williams University.