EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – A 4-0 opening run by the hosting Wilkes Colonels was ultimately the difference maker on Saturday afternoon as the Manhattanville College men's lacrosse team was unable to completely fight back from the early deficit, falling 11-9. The loss drops Manhattanville below .500 for the first time this season, now holding a 2-3 overall record.
A pair of goals from Tim Hartka and tallied from Luke Weakland and Henry O'Connor put the Colonels up 4-0 through the opening 10:16 of play, giving Wilkes a lead they would go on to protect for the duration of the game.
It was a hard-fought effort by the Valiants who kept pace against a team that defeated them by eight a season ago.
Drew Palladino (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) got Manhattanville on the board with 3:07 left in the first, the rookie's seventh goal of the season, to bring the score to 4-1 at the end of the first quarter.
Another pair of rookies accounted for the Valiants' second score of the day to begin the second quarter.
Dash Munson (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) scored his fourth of the year courtesy of an assist from his classmate
Tyler Berch (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset). The helper would be Berch's tenth point of his young collegiate career. The Colonels built their lead back up to four following goals from Colby Opromolla and Weakland. The next two Valiant goals would come from the vets as
Jesse McGrath (Walden, N.Y./Valley Central) and
Nick Cornelia (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) made it a two score game once again with 6:18 left in the half. McGrath's tally came via Palladino, his sixth assist of the season. O'Connor notched his second goal of the game with 3:42 left in the half to put the Colonels up 7-4.
Manhattanville scored twice to open up a low-scoring third quarter to pull back within a single score. Cornelia began the second half with his second of the game 3:48 into the quarter before
Sean Larkin (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) added an unassisted tally with 8:36 on the clock. The Valiants looked to be heading into the final period down one, but O'Connor completed his hat trick with 10 seconds remaining in the third to put Wilkes ahead 8-6.
The Colonels and Valiants traded goals through the duration of the fourth, preventing Manhattanville from getting back within one. Munson, Cornelia and Larkin would each score for the Vals in the fourth but Wilkes had an answer ready for each one to thwart off a comeback effort.
Cody Johnston (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) finished the day with 12 saves in net for the Valiants. The graduate goalie has posted double-digit saves in all five games this season, earning 71 stops on the year with a 10.85 goals-against average.
Sal DeBenedetto (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan) was Manhattanville's leading defensive playmaker in the game, collecting seven ground balls while causing three turnovers. Johnston finished with six grounders while
Francisco Rosas (Stratford, Conn./Stratford) collected four. Rosas, Palladino and
Chris Perrone (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun) each caused two turnovers.
Up Next
The Valiants will look to snap their three-game skid on Thursday when they host Saint Joseph in a rescheduled game from March 14. The opening faceoff is slated for 4:30 p.m.
