Chester, PA — Messiah closed out its regular-season with another dominating performance Saturday afternoon, handing host Widener University a 5-0 defeat at Edith R. Dixon Field.
Ranked second in the latest STX/NFHCA Top 20 Poll, Messiah (13-1, 5-0) blanked Widener (7-11, 2-3) both on the scoreboard and on the stat sheet, keeping the Pride from registering a shot in the Falcons' 11th straight win.
Junior Katie Love got things rolling just 12:54 into action, scoring her 10th goal of the season off an assist from sophomore Julie Barton. Junior Katrina Campbell followed with a slap-shot score off a feed from classmate Elizabeth Ziegler with just under 26 minutes elapsed, and Love followed with another tally — this one unassisted — less than three minutes later.
Sophomore Amber Philpot then directed a pass from Campbell into the back of the cage at the 31:38 moment, and Messiah was rolling. A 15-0 shot differential in the first half was followed by a 9-0 discrepancy in the second, as Widener had no chance at a comeback.
The Pride did register a pair of penalty corners on the afternoon — one in each half — but it was hardly enough to counteract 13 corner attempts from the Falcons. Senior Nikki Bailey scored her team-leading 14th goal of the year 16 minutes into the second period, prompting head coach Jan Trapp to empty her bench for the remainder of the contest.
Junior Ashley Mowery and senior Renee Herbster split time evenly in goal, helping Messiah to its sixth shut out win of the year.
Love and Bailey paced Messiah's offense, each registering five shots on the afternoon. Barton and Philpot each recorded three attempts.
Coupled with the remainder of Saturday's MAC Commonwealth results, Messiah's win grants yet another match-up with Widener in the fist round of MAC Commonwealth Playoff action, as the Falcons will host the Pride at Anderson Field this Wednesday. Game time is set for 4:30 p.m.
