MONTCLAIR, N.J. – Katie Bertel (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Kelly McMurray (Brewster, N.Y.) each scored twice but the Valiants came up well short against regular season champion and 15th-ranked Montclair State Wednesday night, losing 18-8 in the semifinals of the Skyline Conference Tournament, ending Manhattanville's 2007 season.

The loss was the Valiants' second to the Red Hawks in five days, each coming by double-digits. Montclair State will take on Stevens Saturday for the Skyline Conference Title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament after the Ducks squeezed past Mount Saint Vincent 9-8 Wednesday.

The Valiants end the season at 6-10 after dropping five of their final six games, but stand to return their top 11 scorers next season along with freshman goalie Mary Albano (Trumbull, Conn.) who played every minute of 2007. Manhattanville earned the fourth-seed in this year's league tournament – their final season in the Skyline – and will enter the Freedom Conference next year.

In Wednesday's game, the Red Hawks scored the first five goals of the game and never looked back. The Valiants had the lead down to four, 9-5, at halftime but Montclair State scored six straight over the first 13:00 of the second half to put the game on ice.

McMurray, one of three juniors, scored both of her goals in the first half and finished the season with 15 goals and ten assists, one of four Valiants to finish the year with at least 10 goals and 10 assists. Bertel, a sophomore, ended the year third in points with 41, eight behind Cory Alcorn (Orangeville, Ontario) who scored 37 goals and had 12 assists despite appearing in only 12 games. Alcorn had a goal and an assist Wednesday.

2006 First Team All-Conference selection Abbe Grimes (Hamden, Conn.) followed up her stellar freshman year with an even better sophomore campaign, scoring at least once in all 16 games and finishing with 48 goals and 71 points. Grimes ranks among the conference leaders in goals, assists and points and was ranked 50th in the nation in goals per game entering the week.

Albano made 13 saves Wednesday to close the season with 141 stops and a .392 save percentage. Kristin Kuhmann got the win for the Red Hawks (12-3) who were led by Brianna Gillin's five goals.

2007-05-03