Grantham, PA — A substitute powered nine second-half goals pushed the second-ranked Messiah women's soccer team to a 12-0 win over MAC Commonwealth Conference foe Lycoming College Saturday afternoon, the team's seventh consecutive shut out victory.
As a Homecoming Weekend crowd of over 1,000 looked on in Shoemaker Stadium, Messiah (14-0-2, 3-0) pounded the Lycoming defense for a season-high 43 shots, equating to the program's most goals in a single game since the 2002 season.
“I thought we did a good job of creating chances in front of the goal and finishing those chances,” said Scott Frey, Messiah head coach. “Our serves were really good and our runs into the box were very good. Those are things we talk about every day in practice. We executed exceptionally well today.”
A new-look starting lineup seemed to pay dividends almost immediately, as senior Kacie Klynstra opened with her second goal of the season just 37 seconds into play. A bizarre-looking sequence, Klynstra sent a cross into the box from the right wing that caromed off the far post and then off Lycoming goalkeeper Brie Pepe, finding its way into the corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.
The fact that Klynstra was sending that ball was news in and of itself, as the usual center midfielder started the game on the right wing. Junior Katlyn Musser filled Klynstra's usual position in vacating her right back slot, while junior Katie Hoffsmith recorded her first start of the season in Musser's absence.
Senior Rachel Horning then flipped to the left wing from her usual right-side location, while junior Amanda Naeher and sophomore Erin Hench swapped places at the top of the lineup.
And while Frey would insist the change was only “an experiment,” the Falcons' offense would clip along at an unprecedented pace. Freshman Olivia Scott scored the first of three goals just 2:32 into play, heading a serve from Horning to the far post to make the game a 2-0 difference. Hench then headed in a feed from Klynstra at the 19:55 mark, and Messiah took its 3-0 lead into the half.
It was not until the game's second 45 minutes that Frey's team really began unloading, however, as Naeher got into the action just 40 seconds off the opening tap. Horning was able to cut a defender on the right wing and serve a low cross to the back post at the 45:40 mark, leaving Naeher with a point-blank look to make it a 4-0 contest.
Scott then followed with two more headed scores at the 47:58 and 50:14 marks, while Naeher was given a beauty of an assist from Hench at the 54:49 moment for another one on one chance with the Lady Warriors' keeper.
Frey's reserves then did the rest of the damage over the game's final 20 minutes, beginning with freshman Lisa Wingard's fourth collegiate goal at the 71:57 mark. Wingard took a pass from sophomore Marla Sensi at an angle and outran the Lycoming defense, finishing a shot from 12 yards out with her left foot to make the score 8-0.
Sensi then began to shine in her own right, scoring goals at the 74:27, 88:08 and 89:30 marks for her first career hat trick — and second, third and fourth career collegiate scores. Sensi's first goal of the day came after she fired on Lyco keeper Chelsea Powers, only for the ball to be blocked and land once more at her feet. Her second was a headed goal off an assist from Wingard, while her final was a close-in shot that slotted past the keeper.
Freshman Jessica Shirk tacked on Messiah's other score between Sensi's outburst, collecting her first collegiate score at the 85:22 mark. Shirk was able to settle the ball in a crowd just yards off the Lady Warriors' endline, placing a firmly struck ball into the back of the net.
Seven of Messiah's scores came through the air — six headers and one volley — while Horning dished out a career-high four assists.
Despite Messiah's overall dominance, Lycoming (4-6-3, 1-2-1) did come up with one quality chance to score, taking advantage of a misplayed ball on the left side of the Falcons' back line and getting through via a switch to the right side. The Lady Warriors' Kaitlin Horn ripped a beauty of a shot that went just left of the goal, sparing Messiah freshman keeper Autumn Reilly on what would have been a difficult effort to save.
“I thought we were sluggish early today, and we looked tired,” Frey said. “We went back to our traditional lineup at the start of the second half and were better.”
Messiah will next take a rare week off from intercollegiate play, remaining idle until returning to conference play next Saturday. The Falcons will then travel to Arcadia University. Match time is set for 12 p.m.
