PURCHASE, N.Y. – Freshman Rebecca Brevé (Tegucigalpa, Honduras, American School of Tegucigalpa) and sophomore Erika Deetjen (West Windsor, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro South) scored less than three minutes apart midway through the first half and that was all the offense that the Manhattanville women's soccer team needed to start its 2012 Freedom Conference schedule with a 2-1 victory over King's (Pa.) on Saturday afternoon at GoValiants.com Field.
 
Manhattanville (5-5-0, 1-0-0 Freedom) returns to .500 with the victory and also improves to 4-1-0 in one-goal games this season. King's (2-6-1, 0-1-0 Freedom) has its losing streak extended to three games with the defeat.
 
As they have had a habit of doing this year, Manhattanville fell into an early hole on Saturday. A giveaway in the defensive third led to the Lady Monarchs' Taylor Sweeney feeding Erin Laird for her third goal of the season at the 3:27 mark of the opening half, putting the home team behind early.
 
But that changed in a span of less than three minutes midway through the half, as Breve and Deetjen connected to put the home team ahead. Brevé struck first at the 27:48 mark, as she curled a free kick from 25 yards over the King's wall and into the top-right corner for her third goal of the year.
 
In the 31st minute the Valiants scored again, and this time it was Brevé setting up her teammate for the goal. Freshman Christie Freer (Southington, Conn./Southington) started the play by making a nice move to get open along the near sideline and put a ball toward the middle to Brevé. Rather than settle the ball, the freshman flicked it backwards over her head to a streaking Deetjen, who touched it with the right foot over the keeper's head and into the net.
 
The two quick goals gave the Valiants the edge on the scoreboard that they held possession-wise in the opening half, as Manhattanville posted a 9-2 edge in shots and also took the only three corner kicks of the frame.  
 
Neither team created many great chances in the second half, with the Valiants recording a 5-2 edge in shots and both teams putting two shots on goal.
 
Freshman Grace Kraemer (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) improved to 5-4-0 on the year for Manhattanville by making two saves, while King's keeper Lauren Duguid made seven saves but suffered the loss.
 
Manhattanville will play four of its next five Freedom Conference games away from home, beginning next Saturday with a matchup at perennial nemesis Eastern beginning at 12:30 p.m.