FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – A seven goal performance by the Rams' Rob Varello was too much for the Manhattanville College men's lacrosse team to overcome as the Valiants fell on the road at Farmingdale State on Saturday afternoon. The Valiants will head into the final week of the regular season 5-9 overall and 1-4 in the Skyline Conference.

It as an uphill battle for the Valiants early as the Rams scored four goals over the opening 5:35. It would be a pair of goals from both Varello and Jake Wandle that got Farmingdale off to the hot start. Manhattanville's comeback effort got started by the team's leading scorer of Nick Corenlia, whose 46^th goal of the year began a 3-0 Valiant run. Jesse McGrath (Walden, N.Y./Valley Central) followed in suit off an assist from Tyler Berch (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) before Dash Munson (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) scored from Sean Larkin (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) to make it a one goal game with 5:25 left in the period. Varello would put an end to the Valiant scoring streak with two more tallies to close out the first, as his opening quarter hat trick had the Rams up 6-3 through 15.

Varello made it three straight goals as the second got underway with 12:49 left in the half. The Valiants would net the next two tallies as Drew Palladino (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) scored from McGrath before Berch set up Cornelia again. Both teams would add one more goal apiece in the half, with Johnny McMahon finding the net for the Rams while Palladino scored a man-up goal from James Weinbaum (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) to move the score to 8-6 in favor of Farmingdale at the half.

Farmingdale took control of the game with a 4-0 third quarter, getting a pair of goals from Thomas Stock while Wandle and Jack Gilbride added one apiece. The Valiants had just one shot in the period compared to the 22 taken by the Rams as Farmingdale doubled up the Valiants 12-6.

The teams combined for 11 goals over an explosive final 15 minutes. The rams scored the first three goals of the fourth to swell their lead up to 15-6. Palladino snapped Farmingdale's seven straight goals with his second-straight hat trick, scoring off an assist from Cornelia, but the Rams responded with another three unanswered goals to pull ahead by 11 with five minutes to go. The Valiants ended the contest with four straight tallies as Cornelia scored twice along with goals from Berch and McGrath, but time was not on Manhattanville's side with a steep hill to climb. Despite the Valiants getting momentum, the horn would sound on an 18-11 win for Farmingdale State.

Joe Ulzheimer (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) played the opening 54:48 in net, making 15 saves while being charged with all 18 goals. Mike Hopkins (Bedford, N.Y./Fox Lane) would spell the rookie netminder for the final 5:12, not seeing a shot on net in his time in the cage.

Nick Padovani (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) led the ground ball effort for the Valiants as part of his FOGO duties, collecting seven grounders along with 11 faceoff wins. Chris Gragnano (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook Senior) collected a career-high six ground balls for Manhattanville. Sal DeBenedetto (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan) caused a team-high three turnovers to go along with his four ground balls.

Up Next
The Valiants close out the regular season with two final home games next week. The final stretch gets underway on Tuesday with a 4 p.m. showdown against Mount Saint Vincent.

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