PURCHASE, N.Y. – A ten-day break between games did little to slow down the Manhattanville University women's soccer team as the Valiants picked up a 3-0 win over Purchase in their return to action. The Valiants improve to 3-4-0 on the year and are now 2-0-0 to begin Skyline Conference play, while the Panthers slip to 2-3-0 (1-2-0).

Manhattanville dominated the possession battle all night long, outshooting Purchase 29-3 and putting 14 shots on target compared to the Panthers' three.

The Valiants' onslaught of shots broke through in the 30^th minute when Stephanie Sanchez (Rye, N.Y./The Masters School) let a shot rip from 20 yards out over a leaping Jill Creegan in the Panther net to give Manhattanville a 1-0 lead. The tally was Sanchez' second of the year and is credited as her first game-winner since September 9, 2023 against John Jay in her rookie season.

Sanchez' tally would ultimately be plenty the way the Valiants kept hold of the ball over the course of the night, but the not-so-far visiting team added a pair of insurance goals over the second half. Drita Tinaj (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) doubled the lead in the 60^th after finding herself all alone in front of the Purchase net, tucking the ball in to the lower left corner for her fourth of the year. Johanna Gibson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Edward R Murrow) went on to also score her fourth goal of the season with 67 seconds remaining in the game. After Jennay Ameral intercepted a clear attempt, she found Gibson who weaved through the defense and made a beeline to the net, beating the keeper to the right.

Alexa Bennett (Sparrowbush, N.Y./Port Jervis) made her first career start as Manhattanville's goalkeeper, making three saves to pick up her first solo shutout. Through three appearances this season, the sophomore holds a 0.49 goals-against average.

Tinaj's seven total shot attempts led all Valiant shooters, while Nadia Parisi (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) ripped off six shots. Sanchez finished with five, putting a team-high four on net, while both Tinaj and Amaral fired three balls on target.

The Valiants finished the night with a 5-1 advantage on corners.

Up Next
Two teams still perfect in conference play will meet on Saturday when the Valiants head to Newburgh to take on Mount Saint Mary at noon.

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