Geneva, NY — The fifth-ranked Messiah field hockey program ran its 2008 record against nationally-ranked teams to 3-1 Saturday afternoon, handing 13th-rated William Smith College a 5-0 defeat at McCooey Field.
Messiah (6-1) took advantage of a goal just 39 seconds into play, setting the tone for the afternoon while racing off to is fourth consecutive win and third in shut-out fashion.
Senior Nikki Bailey tipped in a shot from junior Elizabeth Ziegler following a penalty corner opportunity literally seconds after the opening whistle, as Messiah out shot William Smith (8-2) by a 23-2 difference while firing 17 corners to the Herons' one.
It was yet another dominating performance from the Falcons that even left head coach Jan Trapp impressed.
“Did I think we would come in here and do what we did, absolutely not,” Trapp said. “I thought that we had a good chance of winning, but our girls played out of their minds today. William Smith is a good team and a good program. We just played very, very well all over the field.”
Bailey's initial score was followed by another apparent goal just five minutes later, but her second tally was waved off by the far official for being dangerous. That seemed to matter little to Messiah's attack, however, as Trapp's club kept the pressure on for the duration. Sophomore Kourtney Ehly added to the Falcons' lead off an assist from junior Katrina Campbell at the 28:49 mark, helping Messiah to a 2-0 lead at the intermission.
Bailey was at it again less than 10 minutes into the second period, scoring off a pass from junior Emily Sauder with 44:59 elapsed. Sophomore Lauren Tennis then carded her fourth goal of the season just over five minutes later (50:05), while Ehly redirected a shot from sophomore Julie Barton into the back of the cage at the 65:42 point, finishing off the win in style.
“We tackled very well today and our stick work was just great,” Trapp said. “If I had to give a game ball to someone, I'd give it to (junior defender) Mary Hoover. You'd be surprised to hear that just by looking at the stats, but she was just great. She kept winning balls and getting them to the open spots on the field, she was awesome.”
Junior Ashley Mowery picked up her second consecutive shut out in goal, while all but two dressed players appeared in the contest for Messiah. The win continues what has been a dominant four-game run for the club, improvement that Trapp has seen both competitively and in practice situations.
“I've said it before, but the girls are beginning to figure it out,” she said. “This is what (the coaching staff) saw last spring. This is kind of what we were expecting to see. It's fun to watch, and we're excited to see just how much we can push our potential.”
Messiah will return to Anderson Field Tuesday afternoon to face the rare unranked opponent, as Shenandoah University will visit. Game time is set for 4 p.m.
