BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Playing the first of three games in five days, the Manhattanville University women's soccer team secured its first win of the season with a 5-1 non-conference victory over Brooklyn College on Wednesday afternoon. The Valiants climb to 1-3-0 on the season with the win, while the Bulldogs fall to 2-2-0.
Fueled by the team's highest scoring output in a non-conference game since 2021, even different Valiants played their way onto the stat sheet with points in the win. Manhattanville opened a two-goal first half with a strike from
Stephanie Sanchez (Rye, N.Y./The Masters School) in the tenth minute, the senior's first goal of the season and 11
th overall for her career. Manhattanville dominated possession in the opening 45, logging all 10 shots in the half. The Valiant attack was able to double the advantage in the 40
th minute when
Deanna Lage (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) netted her first collegiate goal, putting Manhattanville ahead 2-0.
The Valiants maintained a firm grasp on the game after intermission, outshooting the Bulldogs 11-1 over the second half. Manhattanville extended the lead in the 59
th minute when
Johanna Gibson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Edward R Murrow) buried an assist from
Lorelai McDaniel (Buckeye, Ariz./Millennium) for the sophomore's second goal of the year.
Brooklyn got one back entering the final 25 minutes of play as Audrey Young scored on the home team's first shot attempt in the contest. The blemish did little to slow down the Valiants as
Gianna Cuffari (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland) took center stage over the final seven minutes. The graduate forward scored her first NCAA goal in the 84
th minute off
Drita Tinaj's (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) assist to reestablish Manhattanville's three-goal cushion before the Stony Point native beat the final countdown, scoring her second of the contest from
Alessia Cioffi (Pawling, N.Y./Pawling) with ten seconds left in regulation.
While she did not face a shot during her day at the office,
Macey Girard (Branford, Conn./Branford) earned the win with a scoreless 63:47 in the Valiant net. The senior netminder improves to 1-3-0 on the season with a 2.16 goals-against average.
Alexa Bennett (Sparrowbush, N.Y./Port Jervis) played the closing 26:13 in her first appearance of the year, surrendering the lone goal.
Sanchez and Ciuffari finished with three shots apiece, with all three of Cuffari's attempts in her 48 minutes on the pitch going on target. Manhattanville's 21 total shots and 12 shots on goal both marked season-highs through the opening four games. A testament to how the Valiants set up residency on the offensive side of the field, Manhattanville held a 13-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Up Next
The Valiants open Skyline Conference play on Thursday, hosting Yeshiva University at 4 p.m.
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