PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- The Manhattanville lacrosse team was dealt its first loss of the season by Saint John Fisher 17-4 in the Valiants spring break trip to snowy upstate New York Tuesday at Growney Stadium.

Saint John Fisher started the attack early in the first quarter as Mike Cortina beat Andrew Predun (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.). Cortina would find the back of the cage twice more.

Shortly after, Mike Strauss (Newark, Del.) knotted the game at one when Max Garofalo (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) fed Strauss from behind the goal. Strauss leads the Valiants with five goals. After two more Cardinal goals, Andrew McMillin (Garden City, N.Y.) cut the Fisher lead to one with an unassisted tally, coming around from behind the cage and firing the ball past Jon Cortina. McMillin ranks second on the team with four goals.

The second half was all Cardinals as Manhattanville lost all seven face-offs in the quarter and were 2-for-6 on clear attempts. With the ball mostly in Manhattanvilles defensive zone, Saint John Fisher scored six unanswered goals, including one with a man-up. The Valiants were outshot by ten in the second.

The third quarter saw the Cardinals increase their lead to 14-2 with Manhattanville getting outshot 7-3. Nick Foote (Trumbull, Conn.) saw his first action of the season, replacing Predun in cage midway through the third. Foote made a spectacular save on Fisher leading-scorer Chris Schmidt, fanning his stick to stop a ball near his ankles. He made six saves in his collegiate debut.

In the fourth, Danny Hannon (Purchase, N.Y.) gave the Valiants their third goal of the game, dodging through the Fisher defense, shooting while getting tripped, and bouncing the ball over Fisher goalkeeper Bill Buttaro.

With 12:23 to play in the third, Strauss put a ball on cage that was saved by Buttaro, but Garofalo snagged the rebound, spun, fired, and beat Buttaro for a man-up goal, his second goal of the season.

The Valiants (2-1) return to action on Thursday to take on Emerson at 1:00 p.m. at GoValiants.com Field.

2008-03-11