EDWARDSVILLE, PA – Manhattanville College scored seven consecutive goals during an eight minute stretch of the second quarter to break open a back-and-forth Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) contest with the Wilkes University men's lacrosse team Saturday afternoon at Schmidt Stadium. The two teams were tied in scoring during the other three quarters but an 8-3 second quarter proved to be the difference in a 16-11 win for the visiting Valiants.

Nico Lorenzo (Howell, NJ/Howell) led the Wilkes attack with four points on three goals and one assist but the Colonels fell to 6-6 overall and to 1-2 in the MAC Freedom with the loss. Manhattanville improved its overall record to 7-5 and went to 2-1 in the conference.

John Wink (Glenside, PA/Abington) scored on the man-up off a pass from Jeremy Kachel (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) to open the scoring just 3:31 into the first quarter. The Valiants answered with a goal before a nice one-man effort from Matthew Bush (Lake Hopatcong, NJ/Jefferson Twp.) put the Colonels back ahead 2-1 with 4:27 left in the first 15-minute quarter. After Manhattnaville scored, Wink answered with his second of the game and 30^th of the season to put Wilkes ahead again by one. John Luna (Valley Center, CA/Valley Center) picked up the assist on the play. A Valiants goal with 18 seconds left in the first quarter tied the score at three.

Manhattanville took its first lead at 4-3 just 21 seconds into the second quarter but Wilkes had a quick answer just 18 seconds later. Nicholas Ruggiero (Califon, NJ/Voorhees) took a pass from Lorenzo and beat the goalie to tie the score once again. Just 24 seconds later Lorenzo scored his first of the game off a pass from Connor Daly (Oakhurst, NJ/Ocean Twp.) to put the Colonels back ahead 5-4.

The Valiants then went on their seven-goal streak from the 11:51 mark to the 3:51 mark of the second quarter to take an 11-5 lead. Three of the seven goals came on the man-up.

Luna broke the scoring run by the visitors on a goal with 2:07 left before halftime to send the Colonels into the break trailing 11-6. Kachel assisted on the play.

Ruggiero netted the first goal of the third quarter off Kachel's third assist of the game but Manhattanville scored the next two goals to go back up 13-7. Lorenzo found the net unassisted with 2:36 left in the third quarter for his second goal of the game.

Lorenzo then capped his hat trick with his third goal just 53 seconds into the fourth quarter to pull Wilkes back within four goals at 13-9. Three goals in a 3:14 stretch by the Valiants put the game away as they went ahead 16-9 with just over 10 minutes left.

Bush added his 11^th goal of the season with 9:25 left in the game and Ruggiero scored his third of the game and 28^th of the season off a pass from Wink on the man-up with 3:09 left to cap the scoring.

Ruggiero (3 goals), Wink, (2 goals, 1 assist), and Kachel (3 assists) all finished the day with three points. Bush (2 goals) and Luna (1 goal, 1 assist) had two points and Daly added one point on an assist.

Gianni Ciffone led all scorers in the game with seven points on five goals and two assists for Manhattanville. Nick Delia added five goals and one assist.

Wilkes was successful in the transition game converting 13-of-14 clears on the day.

JT Weitzel (Hampstead, MD/North Carroll), Jack O'Connell (Linwood, NJ/St. Augustine Prep.), and Ruggiero led Wilkes with five ground balls each and Garrett Armstrong (Hampton, NJ/Kittatinny) forced two turnovers. Carter Whittemore (Rochester, NY/West Irondequoit) made 14 saves for the Colonels.

Wilkes returns to the field on Wednesday when the team travels to Dallas, Pa. for a mid-week MAC Freedom matchup with Misericordia University at 7:00 p.m.