Grantham, PA — It was a case of substance over style for the Messiah men's soccer team Tuesday night, as the Falcons made the most of two corner kicks to get past Lycoming College by a 2-1 score in one of two MAC Commonwealth Conference Semi-Finals.
Messiah's win — coupled with an upset of top-seeded Lebanon Valley College in the other semi — places the MAC Championship contest in a familiar location, as Messiah will host Widener University Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The Falcons needed a steady, methodical effort to get to that point Tuesday, as a damp and dreary evening was greeted by a sturdy defensive effort from third-seed Lycoming (12-6-1). Following a 5-0 win over the Warriors at Shoemaker Field during the regular season, Messiah (15-2-2) found the goings a bit more tedious on this night, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime after only registering five first-half shots.
Some encouraging words from head coach Dave Brandt led to a frenetic opening of the second period, however, and Messiah — ranked eighth in the latest Adidas/NSCAA Top 25 Poll — tacked on the game winner just over 12 minutes in.
“This was a good win, and Lyco is a good team,” Brandt said afterward. “We would have liked to finish the game off a little better than we did, but overall it was a good effort for us.”
As rain began to fall mere moments following the conclusion of the starting lineups, players on both sides struggled to find their footing on the Shoemaker Field turf. Lycoming put numbers in the box — especially early — looking to slow down a Falcons team that entered riding a five-game winning streak, a stretch in which Messiah outscored its opponents by a cumulative 21-0 difference.
The Warriors' strategy was effective, save for allowing 10 Messiah corner kicks on the night. The Falcons cashed in on their first opportunity at the 25:19 mark, when sophomore Geoff Pezon served a ball in from the right flag. Junior Trey Overholt was there to head the ball violently off the bottom of the crossbar, the resulting spin helping to curl the ball over the endline.
To leave no doubt, sophomore Nick Thompson crashed in slamming both the ball and himself into the back of the net, but the goal was officially credited to Overholt, his second collegiate score.
As play began to shift to the midfield after Messiah's initial tally, Brandt urged his club to push forward during the intermission — along with some tactical advice. Those tidbits helped to perhaps the game's most entertaining 20-minute stretch, as another Falcons' corner gave the hosts a 2-0 lead at the 67:22 mark. Pezon again served a magnificent ball into the goal mouth, this time the sphere banged around before being one-touched into the back of the net by freshman Danny Thompson.
Thompson, who was standing almost directly on top of the six-yard line on the score, registered his sixth goal of the season and third in the last five games.
That score was the culmination of an all-out attack on Lycoming's defensive third throughout the opening moments of the second half, as it seemed only a matter of time before Messiah would add to its total. Just five minutes in Messiah produced a wild sequence off its first corner of the period, giving way to a pair of headers, then a deflected effort by senior Brett Crompton, then a well-struck volley by Nick Thompson that was saved by Lyco keeper David Bald.
A minute later senior Josh Sanders was fouled literally inches outside the Warrriors' 18-yard box while making a run — the ensuing free kick off Sanders' right foot again saved by Bald.
When Crompton broke free for a one on one chance against Bald — an opportunity that Bald again thwarted — it was clear that Messiah's second goal of the night was more a matter of when than if.
“It takes time to break a team down that bunkers down the way Lyco did tonight,” Brandt said. “I thought we were just a step off our game tonight, but we did do a good job of staying patient. It's easy to get frustrated in a game like this. Obviously, you have to get behind a team in order to get corners, and I thought our ability to do that was a direct result of our patience.”
As Lyco's push to get back in the game intensified, the Warriors were able to make the most of a Falcons' miscue with just over six minutes to play. Following a punt from Bald, freshman Tom Renko was whistled for a handball while going up for a header, giving Lycoming a free kick from 40 yards out, center cut. The Warriors' Matt Frey served a spinning ball into the box that was eventually headed into the net by Dan Marcin, giving the visitors a glimmer of hope at the 83:48 mark.
Messiah was able to successfully clear all ensuing pressure on the slick grass, however, making the final few minutes an exercise in long balls to the opposite end of the field.
“(The handball by Renko) was a small mistake, but small mistakes add up,” Brandt said. “I thought at the end of the second half we got somewhat careless. We gave away fouls we shouldn't have. When you do that, you're asking for something.”
The second seed in the league tournament, Messiah will now host the upcoming MAC Championship, as fourth-seeded Widener handed LVC a 1-0 loss on the Dutchmen's field Tuesday afternoon. That win was the Pride's second straight, as Widener defeated Lycoming by a 2-1 score in its final regular-season game just to qualify for the post-season.
The turn of events gives Messiah home field advantage in the title game, but prevents a chance for redemption against LVC: The Dutchmen beat Messiah by a 2-1 score Oct. 15, the only team to beat the Falcons in conference play this year and the only team other than Elizabethtown College to ever knock off Messiah in the history of the MAC Commonwealth Conference.
“What I or anyone else would want is irrelevant,” Brandt said. “The fact of the matter is that we play Widener Saturday. I think we're playing much better as a team, and we'll be focused.”
Game time for Saturday's championship at Shoemaker Field has been set for 7:30 p.m. Cost of admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. Children under six years old are admitted free. Messiah will be offering these tickets as part of a double-header for interested fans: Admission to the Falcons' women's soccer league championship game against Elizabethtown College (beginning at 5 p.m.) will also allow entrance to the men's event.
