Glenside, PA — A third career hat trick from junior Amanda Naeher and a three-goal outburst midway through the second half propelled Messiah to a 5-0 MAC Commonwealth Conference win at Arcadia University Monday afternoon, the teams' first meeting in the history of the institutions.
Messiah (15-0-2, 4-0) made the short trip to the Philadelphia area Monday after Saturday's originally scheduled date was postponed due to rain. The change in schedule did not seem to deter the Falcons' efforts, as Messiah recorded 24 shots to the host Knights' six while rattling off its eighth straight win and seventh in shut-out fashion.
“This was a good win for us away from home at what could be a difficult place to play,” said Scott Frey, Messiah head coach. “I thought we did well overall. Arcadia had a few pressures in the first half, but we cleaned some things up and were better as the game went on.”
Frey's club was able to control possession from the outset, getting a number of looks at the Arcadia cage early. It was the Knights that nearly put the first score on the board, however, as Arcadia (8-6-2, 1-2-1) used a counter-attack opportunity that required a diving save from senior goalkeeper Brindley Beckwith. A scrum in front of the Messiah cage at the 18th minute mark was halted by one of Beckwith's five saves, and the Falcons' defense was able to clear the ball out of danger.
It was 10 minutes later when Messiah would erase the scoreless tie, as sophomore Erin Hench took a serve from classmate Molly Bletz at the 28:40 mark. Receiving the ball from the left wing, Hench turned on a defender and slipped a shot to the short right side, giving the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
Naeher got in the act less than four minutes later, getting into the box and producing a nearly exact replica of Hench's score with 32:42 elapsed. Hench provided the ball-feeding honors to Naeher on the Falcons' second score, while Messiah would keep its 2-0 lead at the intermission.
“Arcadia really played us tonight,” Frey said. “They pressed forward and really got at us and tried to counter. I think we were able to relax a little bit after Erin's goal.”
Frey's club would slam the door closed over a 2:35 span in the second half, as Naeher tacked on her second tally at the 60:01 point. Continual pressure on the Knights' cage resulted in a loose ball directly off the end line, and Naeher was able to tap the gift into an open net for a 3-0 lead.
Sophomore Joanna Haqq then volleyed a serve from junior Katlyn Musser into the netting at the 61:50 mark, while Naeher finalized things at the 62:36 clip with an unassisted score.
That goal completed Naeher's third hat trick of the season, complementing three-goal efforts in a 7-0 win over Centenary College Sept. 6 and a 4-0 win over Haverford College Oct. 11.
“She's a challenge for defenders to handle because she has skill and she's strong,” Frey said. “She looks to finish, which is different than just shooting. She's a handful.”
Rest will now be the number one prescription for the Falcons, as Saturday's postponement has placed the team in the midst of a three-game in six-day stretch. Messiah will next host Albright College Wednesday before traveling to Elizabethtown College Saturday in closing out regular-season play. Wednesday's tilt is set for a 7 p.m. kick-off at Shoemaker Field.
