Elizabethtown, PA — Early moments of trepidation were transformed into yet another runaway win for the Messiah women's soccer team Saturday, as the Falcons rebounded from a 1-0 deficit to claim a 5-1 win at conference rival Elizabethtown College.
An early goal from the Blue Jays (12-5-2, 3-2-1) provided the hosts with a lead for a mere 54 seconds, as Messiah (17-0-2, 6-0) responded to remain unblemished in MAC Commonwealth play for the fifth straight season.
“This was a great win, especially for us on the road,” said Scott Frey, Messiah head coach. “We always get excited to play this one and (Elizabethtown) always comes at us hard. We started out a little sluggish today, but we responded really well. It's always a good win when you're playing at Elizabethtown.”
E'Town's penchant for getting ahead of Messiah may be the rationale for Frey's thoughts, as the Falcons trailed 1-0 for the second time in the team's last two trips to the Blue Jays' pitch. An Elizabethtown free kick from 40 yards out led to Saturday's initial score, as Messiah's defensive corps mishandled the serve. That led to a point-blank shot which banged off the crossbar and another scrum that finally got the job done, helping E'Town to a 1-0 lead at the 21:29 mark.
Frey's club then cut off any momentum generated by the hosts, tallying an impressive goal just under a minute later. Freshman Olivia Scott took to the air to head in a corner kick from the left side (courtesy of sophomore Molly Bletz), tying the score at 1-1 and setting off a pronounced celebration from the usually subdued Falcons' side.
That moment of exuberance paled in comparison to the Falcons' next score, as junior Amanda Naeher tacked on the game winner en route to her fifth hat trick of the season — and third consecutive feat. Standing just outside the 18-yard box and even with the right post, the sturdy forward took a pass from sophomore Erin Hench and hit a low rope to the left post, giving Messiah a 2-1 lead at the 27:23 mark.
Naeher's reaction to that score may have been her most pronounced ever, as she embraced her teammates near midfield in a screaming pile of humanity.
The Falcons' lead was pushed to 3-1 at the 36:46 mark, as Naeher dribbled around two defenders from 40 yards out before hitting a left-footed shot to the low right side of frame. Messiah was able to take that lead to the intermission despite what appeared to be a certain Elizabethtown score just seconds before the conclusion of the first half, as yet another Blue Jays' free kick was cleared off the end line by Bletz who was standing in goal.
“I'm not sure how that did not go in,” Frey said.
Averting possible disaster, Messiah slowly pulled away. Naeher's third marker came at the 58:22 mark, another unassisted score that came via an all-out rocket into the left-side upper 90. Senior Rachel Horning then tacked on an insurance goal in the 67th minute, cutting a defender on the left side of the field before unleashing an impressive laser of her own from 16 yards out at the 67:58 tick.
Messiah finished with a 23-7 advantage in total shots on the day while the Falcons attempted six corners to E'Town's one — all coming on a sunny, unseasonably warm afternoon.
“I'm not sure if the heat affected us early, but it's been cold for our games for the last week or so,” Frey said. “I thought we had time and space in the midfield from the start, but early we seemed to rush things. Once we took our time, we were able to put some things together and eventually wear them down a bit.”
As for Naeher, the superlatives are quickly running out. Already the program's single-season record holder for both goals and points — she set both marks in Wednesday's win over Albright College — the junior now has 28 goals and 62 points on the season to go with another single-season record in her five hat tricks.
“She has been a beast, no question,” Frey said. “What more can you say?”
The Falcons ran its streak of regular-season league perfection to five years in Saturday's win, as the last non-wins came during the 2003 campaign in 0-0 ties to both Lebanon Valley College and Juniata College. Juniata has since left the MAC.
Messiah will hope its current 10-game winning streak and accompanying momentum can carry the team deep into the post-season, as the Falcons' journey begins in the MAC Commonwealth Playoffs this Wednesday. Messiah will host fourth seeded Arcadia University (9-7-2, 2-3-1) at Shoemaker Field for a 6 p.m. start.
