PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville University men's soccer team delivered a commanding second-half performance to earn a 4–1 win over Purchase College on Wednesday night. The Valiants fired relentlessly on goal, outshooting the Panthers 26–7 and capitalizing on a barrage of set pieces to secure their first conference victory.
Purchase opened the scoring just after the 25th minute when Sebastian Ford buried a feed from Felix Robinson to give the Panthers a 1–0 advantage. Manhattanville responded with steady pressure, generating shots from Alessio Scanapieco (Westerly, R.I./LaSalle Academy) and Alec Pineda (Yonkers, N.Y./Port Chester) while earning multiple corner kicks behind the service of Guido Sarango (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham). The persistence paid off with 20 minutes left in the half as Johnny Antolino (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) netted the equalizer off a clever combination from Sarango and Scanapieco. The score remained even heading into halftime.
The Valiants controlled possession after the break and ended the deadlock in the 63rd minute by Roberto Velasquez-Osorio (Monticello, N.Y./Monticello), assisted by Nico Del Vescovo (Flanders, N.J./Mount Olive), putting Manhattanville in front. Just six minutes later, Lucas Fernandez (Stamford, Conn./Stamford) extended the advantage to 3–1 with a sharp strike to the top-left corner, capping an outstanding individual effort that helped him record a game-high of six shots on target alongside Pineda. The scoring was sealed with two minutes remaining when Manhattanville forced an own goal to make it 4–1. The win marked the Valiants' first Skyline Conference victory of the 2025 season.
Goalkeeper AJ Lucas (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) anchored the Valiants' defense, making key saves to preserve the lead. Lucas stopped one of the two shots on goal from the Panthers, while Purchase keeper Luca Valeriano faced 12 shots from Manhattanville. Velasquez-Osorio and Antolino each tallied two shots on goal, with Pineda adding one. Fernandez provided additional offensive firepower with four shots on target of his own. Sarango paced the attack, delivering five corner kicks to keep the Purchase back line under constant pressure.
Manhattanville finished with 20 total shots and 13 corner kicks, overwhelming the visitors and improving their record behind a balanced team effort, showcasing the teams attacking depth and composure under pressure.
The Valiants will return to the pitch on Saturday, September 27, at 3 p.m. to face Mount Saint Mary College (N.Y.) in Newburgh, N.Y.
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