By Cody Swartz, GoMessiah.com reporter
Salisbury, MD — It was a thrilling competition between number-one ranked Messiah and number-two ranked Salisbury University Saturday afternoon.
So thrilling, in fact, that regulation field hockey was not enough to contain it.
In a game that very well could prove to be a preview of the 2009 NCAA Division III Championship, Messiah survived a scare at the end of regulation to come away with a 3-2 overtime win over the host Sea Gulls, the team's second straight win in extra-session time.
After a last-second goal off a crazy deflection by the Sea Gulls sent the game into overtime, Messiah's own Julie Barton — an All-American junior midfielder playing in her first game back following a nasty head injury — scored the winner less than five minutes into overtime to cap off a wild afternoon for both teams.
“We played really well,” said Jan Trapp, Messiah head coach. “We really battled with (Salisbury), but our girls just rose to the occasion. (We) hassled them both offensively and defensively, and I was proud of the way we played.”
Defense was the name of this game between two of the best teams in the nation, as neither team budged an inch throughout first 50 minutes of play. With just 20 minutes to play in regulation, the scoreboard still read 0-0, marking the first time Messiah (6-0) had been locked in a scoreless tie at least 50 minutes into a game since a 1-0 win over Juniata College on Oct. 19 … of 2006.
“The defense was just awesome,” said Trapp. “Each of our defenders played very well and made some key saves. This was a total team effort.”
Finally, junior Kourtney Ehly converted a pass from classmate Lauren Tennis at the 50:57 mark, notching her fourth goal of the year to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead midway through the second half.
Salisbury (6-1) managed to knot things up less than 12 minutes later, however, putting an equalizer in at the 61:37 mark, as the Sea Gulls' Tara McGovern scored off a pass from Lauren Correll.
Undeterred, the Falcons struck right back just four minutes later, as senior forward Katie Love — the squad's leading scorer on the season — knocked in a deflection to give the her team a 2-1 lead with less than 10 minutes to play.
That was when the craziest plays of the day occurred.
The Sea Gulls found themselves shooting a penalty corner with less than 10 remaining on the clock. In extreme hurry-up mode, Salisbury sophomore forward Alison Bloodsworth managed a shot from the top arc that tipped off a deflection, crossing up the usual wall which is senior keeper Ashley Mowery and tying the game as time expired in the most improbable fashion.
As Salisbury players and fans went berzerk, Trapp had to calm and collect her squad.
One of Messiah's biggest wins of the season was now anyone's ballgame.
“It was just one of those freak things that happens,” said Trapp. “We had to prepare for more field hockey.”
Led by their Hall of Fame coach, the Falcons didn't panic.
Less than five minutes into overtime, Barton's registered an unassisted slap shot, driving the ball past Sea Gulls' goalkeeper Anna Cooke and setting off a celebration of equal proportions on the Messiah sideline.
Barton, who missed Messiah's 3-2, double-overtime win against 14th-ranked Lynchburg College Wednesday, was an obvious spark to the Falcons: The midfielder put up two of the team's seven shots on goal Saturday afternoon, playing with her head heavily wrapped after taking a shot to the forehead at the conclusion of the Falcons' 3-0 win at 10th-ranked Rowan University Sept. 12.
“This was a huge confidence booster for us,” said Trapp. “The girls played well. They were really focused going into it, really focused on the game, and really proud of their focus on the field. And when you're playing a team as well-balanced as Salisburry, it takes a strong performance from each person on the team.”
Saturday provided another strong showing from a Falcons team that has been tested by four top-ranked teams thus far this season — and come away victorious in each of those contests.
“We've been tested by a lot of really good teams in our schedule, and our girls have just played great,” said Trapp. “It's so nice as a coach to see your girls doing the things you have been teaching them to do. It's the little things that win the games, and we have done a great job of doing just that.”
Now on the verge of beginning conference play, Messiah's treacherous schedule gets no easier, as another top-five team — currently fourth-ranked College of New Jersey — is sandwiched into the mix Oct. 24.
“It's hard not to focus on (post-season play), but that's a long way to go, and we need to just take our schedule one game at a time,” said Trapp.
Messiah's will conclude the bulk of its non-conference schedule next, as the team will travel to King's College Wednesday afternoon. Game time is set for 4 p.m.
