OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – Kaci Pierce (Niantic, Conn./East Lyme) scored her 100
th collegiate goal with a five-goal performance, one of ten total goal scorers for the Manhattanville University women's lacrosse team in Saturday's 21-4 victory down at Old Westbury. The Valiants will enter the final week of the regular season in fifth place in the Skyline Conference standings, now sitting at 7-7 on the season and 4-3 in conference play.
Pierce joined classmate
Pietra Cabral (Mineola, N.Y./Mineola) as the two newest members of the Valiants' 100 goal club this season when she scored the game's opening tally 3:42 into the action. It would be the first of a six-point afternoon for the senior attacker who went on to add an assist to her five goals.
Lauren Mumaw (Kingsville, Md./Mercy High School) and
Ashley Glass (Mahopac, N.Y./Lakeland) combined for seven goals, scoring four and three respectively.
Kathleen O'Mara (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) tallied five points on a pair of goals and three assists, with
Jocelyn Mazo (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) also enjoying a multi-goal game.
Bridget Sonju (Canton, Conn./Canton High School) handed out three assists to go with three assists, while
Emelina Leccese (Rocky Point, N.Y./Rocky Point),
Ava Wade (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester),
Julia Huertas (Shirley, N.Y./William Floyd) and
Erin Flaherty (Rockland, Mass./Canterbury School) all scored in the offensive explosion.
After Pierce joined the century club off Mazo's assist, she spotted the Valiants a two-goal lead with 8:33 left in the opening quarter before Mumaw scored from Sonju 22 seconds later. Old Westbury responded with a pair of goals from Ciana Kunen before Mumaw beat the horn and scored in the closing second to send the game to the second with the Valiants up 4-3.
Manhattanville scored three times in the first five minutes of the new frame, with O'Mara scoring a pair of unassisted tallies to surround Glass' first of the day from Pierce. Kunen struck again for the home team with 8:04 left in the half, but it was all Valiants until the intermission. Manhattanville scored six-straight goals to end the half with a 13-3 lead. Glass scored the first two goals of the run, while Pierce scored twice for a first half hatty along with tallies from Wade and Sonju.
The Valiant scoring run carried over deep into the fourth quarter as Manhattanville scored 14 unanswered goals over more than 27 minutes of game time. The Valiants scored five times in the third, led by a pair from Mazo. Mumaw scored the opening goal of the quarter, while Huertas and Leccese were credited with their first collegiate goals to push the lead to 18-3.
Flaherty, Pierce and Mumaw scored for Manhattanville in the fourth to cap off the scoring run with a 21-3 lead with 3:45 left in regulation before Kunen put Old Westbury back on the board with her fourth of the game with three minutes to play.
Mary Kopf (Congers, N.Y./Clarkstown High School North) improved to 2-3 on the season with the win, making four saves in her full 60 minutes on the field.
Pierce led Manhattanville with three ground balls to go along with her offensive display. Mumaw, Mazo and Sonju each ended the game with two grounders.
Mazo was Manhattanville's point person on draw controls, accounting for eight of the Valiants' 14 in the contest. O'Mara, Wade and
Alexa Bennett (Sparrowbush, N.Y./Port Jervis) each logged a caused turnover.
Up Next
The Valiants have one final test ahead of the postseason, hosting Merchant Marine on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
