PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Valiants led early, but a 10-1 Wilkes run across the second and third periods was the deciding factor on Saturday as the Manhattanville College men's lacrosse team fell to the Colonels 15-7. The loss will drop Manhattanville to 1-4 on the year.

Sean Larkin (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) was once again the team's leading offensive producer, collecting four points on three goals and an assist. Larkin has now recorded a hat trick in three straight games and has scored multiple goals in all five contests, bringing his season total to 14. Nick Cornelia (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) had a three-point outing with a pair of tallies and a helper, while Harrison Yoguez (Trumbull, Conn./St. Joseph) scored a goal and dished out an assist.

Manhattanville opened up the game with three of the first four goals and would hold a 4-3 lead at the end of the opening 15 minutes. Jesse McGrath (Walden, N.Y./Valley Central) wasted no time getting things started, scoring 30 seconds following the opening draw off of Cornelia's assist. While the lead was not around for long, with Wilkes' Alex Myers scoring the equalizer 1:20 later, Larkin scored back-to-back goals in a 39 second span to put the home team back in front. The sophomore's first goal was assisted by Matt Schneider (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) at 11:51 before Larkin was able to score his second solo.

Just like the Valiants' first lead, the Colonels immediately fought back with Eric Ormsby scoring two-straight of his own to tie the game at 3-3 with 3:56 left in the first. The Valiants would strike once more with 2:17 to go following a slashing penalty charged to Wilkes. Cornelia scored on the team's first shot with the man advantage off a feed from Yoguez, giving Manhattanville a 4-3 lead.

Wilkes swung momentum in their favor to begin the second, scoring four straight goals to claim their first lead of the day. Now trailing 7-4 with just under five minutes left in the half, Yoguez scored his second goal of the year via Patrick Magliocchino's (Thornwood, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) assist to pull back within two. However, Ormsby would record his fifth goal of the half before the intermission to give Wilkes an 8-5 lead entering the third quarter. The lead would swell to 13-5 entering the fourth, as the Valiants were blanked on their eight shot attempts.

Larkin and Cornelia would each score in the final quarter, but Wilkes scored twice themselves to hold off any comeback effort. Larkin's hat trick goal was assisted by Dillon Sanzari (Waterbury, Conn./Holy Cross (H.S.)), the senior's second assist of the year, while Cornelia's final goal of the day was set up by Larkin.

Kevin Rafferty (Yonkers, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) had season-best defensive efforts, collecting six ground balls and causing three turnovers. Melchi Agyapong (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) and Bryson Buchanan (Paterson, N.J./Paramus Catholic) posted four ground balls and four caused turnovers each. Jason Frezza (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Portledge) and Cody Johnston (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) split goaltending duties. Frezza took the loss in the start, playing 36-plus minutes and making six saves while allowing 13 goals. Johnston made a career-high five saves in the longest stint of his collegiate career, playing 23:18 in net.

Up Next
The Valiants are back at it on Wednesday, traveling to New Paltz for a 4 p.m. showdown.

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