THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – Kaci Pierce (Niantic, Conn./East Lyme) tied her career-high with five goals to surpass 100 career points to lead the Manhattanville Women's lacrosse team to their first victory over Maritime College since 2019 on Friday night as the Valiants defeated the Privateers 17-9 at Reinhart Field. Manhattanville improved to 4-5 overall with the win and is back above .500 in Skyline Conference play at 2-1.
Pierce went off for five goals for the third time in her career, the first since March 22, 2025 against SUNY Poly. The senior had a first-half hat trick, with her third goal of the contest with 2:51 left in the second quarter bringing her to an even 100 points for her career in 48 games. Pierce is the first Valiant to reach the century mark since classmate
Pietra Cabral (Mineola, N.Y./Mineola) hit the milestone in that aforementioned win over SUNY Poly last year.
Speaking of Cabral, the senior was one of three other Valiants to join Pierce with multigoal games in the win. Cabral led the Valiants overall with a seven-point outing, scoring three times and handing out four assists.
Kathleen O'Mara (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) was also heavily featured in the offensive output, finishing with a season-high six points on four goals and a pair of assists.
The Valiants reached a new total goal mark for the season thanks to the eruptions from Pierce, O'Mara and Cabral.
Bridget Sonju (Canton, Conn./Canton High School) scored twice for the third multi-goal game of her freshman season, while
Lauren Mumaw (Kingsville, Md./Mercy High School),
Jocelyn Mazo (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) and
Ashley Glass (Mahopac, N.Y./Lakeland) each found the back of the net once.
The home side took the lead in a back-and-forth first quarter on Michelle Pecoraro's goal 1:20 into the contest. Pierce began her big night with the Valiants' first tally three minutes later, followed in short order by Cabral's first of the game. Pecoraro struck again for Maritime with 5:33 left in the quarter to tie things up at 2-2. O'Mara and Maritime's Eva Garcia traded a pair of goals each over the final 4:25, with Cabral and Mumaw setting up the Valiant sophomore's goals to send the game into the second deadlocked at 4-4.
O'Mara scored Manhattanville's third-straight goal 2:43 into the second, starting a string of three unanswered goals by the Valiants. Sonju and Mumaw followed up O'Mara's third goal of the game to push Manhattanville's lead up to 7-4. Pecoraro joined O'Mara with a first half hat trick of her own to get the Privateers back within two, but the Valiants scored three more times before the half drew to a close to take a five-goal lead. Pierce scored twice from Sonju and Cabral, the latter her 100
th career point, before Cabral scored a closing-second goal from Mazo to take a 10-5 lead into the break.
The Valiant scoring run carried deep into the third as Manhattanville scored six unanswered to blow the game open. Pierce, Cabral and O'Mara struck with the third quarter goals, with Cabral assisting on the first and Glass picking up the helpers on the later two. Pecoraro brought an end to Maritime's scoring drought with the home team's first goal in more than 18 minutes of game time, but it did little to slow the Valiants as Sonju and Mazo pushed the visitors' lead up to 15-6 with four minutes left in the third.
Maritime inched closer with three straight goals to bridge the third and fourth quarters before the Valiants ended the night with final goals from Glass and Pierce, both assisted by O'Mara.
Maura Spruck (Hawthorne, N.Y./Westlake High School) earned the win in net for the Valiants, making four saves while allowing four goals in her 38:41 of action. The freshman came on in relief in the second quarter for
Megan McDonald (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) after the sophomore made two saves and allowed five goals in 21-plus minutes.
Spruck, Glass and
Sydney Natale (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich) finished with three ground balls each to lead Manhattanville's effort as the team collected 21 in the win. Glass and
Erin Flaherty (Rockland, Mass./Canterbury School) further led the Valiants defensively by forcing a pair of turnovers each.
The Valiants held a 17-11 draw control advantage. Mazo earned five to pace the unit, with Cabral adding four.
Up Next
Manhattanville wraps up the non-conference schedule on Wednesday at Bryn Mawr. Game time is slated for 4 p.m.
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