Box Score
By Matt McDermott, GoMessiah.com student manager
Grantham, PA — Prior to Tuesday night's game between Commonwealth Conference foes Messiah and Lycoming College, an electrical issue prevented the Shoemaker Field scoreboard from ever turning on.
It was good news for the Warriors.
Messiah posted three goals on Lyco in the first half while the Falcons' reserves played lights out in the run of play, burning out the visitors by a 5-0 score.
Coming into Tuesday's tilt, Messiah head coach Brad McCarty said that he had two goals in mind for his squad against a defensive-minded Lycoming team.
“The first thing that I wanted was an early goal,” McCarty said.
Enter speedy junior Derek Black.
Just after the seven minute mark, Black ostentatiously beat the Warriors right back with his traditional and flashy play, cutting into the box, generating with a one-on-one with Lyco keeper James Quinn. He proceeded to shoot on target but was blocked by Quinn, right to senior All-American senior Geoff Pezon's feet, seven yards out.
Pezon would not miss, however, scoring his fifth goal on the season at the 7:30 mark.
“I asked them for that early goal because of what we thought (Lycoming) would do,” McCarty said. “An early goal is always good for us against a defensive-minded team and Peez delivered. The second thing I wanted was a goal from the second team.”
Messiah's substitutes would not get one goal for McCarty, though. They would get two quality goals for their skipper.
With 2:19 to play in the first half, junior J.P. Fulton shook a Lyco defender off his hip and into open space down the right side of the field. Fulton would make the use of his space by sending in a quality cross into the middle of the box for freshman Drew Frey, who rose up for the header, his second goal of the year.
But the freshmen weren't done as classmates Josh Kremers and Sheldon Myer hooked up with 33 seconds to play before the intermission. Kremers sent in a very low cross from 40 yards out on the left side of the field. What then seemed impractical become advantageous, as the cross passed two other Messiah players and through a slew of Lycoming defenders before finding a running Myer, who put away the Falcons' third goal on a hard and low hit to the far post.
“(Those goals) really fuel what we are trying to accomplish,” McCarty said. “Getting an early goal plus two more really put (Lycoming) in a tough spot and made it difficult for them in their game plan. I was pleased with the way we played.”
At the half, Messiah's lights out play shut down Lyco, and the halftime stats were no different: Messiah led in shots (18-2), shots on goal (10-1), and corners, (6-1).
“To Lyco's credit, they never stopped their game plan,” McCarty said. “They stuck with what they were doing and it worked in the second half.”
Messiah maintained its highly possessive attack in the second period, with numerous attacks on goal from every angle. But crosses and dribbles into the middle of the field were met by a plethora of Warriors' defenders, making scoring chances tough for the Falcons.
But the effort of freshman Josiah Groff could not be completely shut down. Numerous times, the Falcons' midfielder hunted Lycoming players to win possession, hustling his way to attention. One of his hustle plays lead to Messiah's forth goal of the game.
Groff gained possession from a defender inside the 18 -yard box and turned away toward the side line to play a ball to the wing. But before he could finish his turn, a Lyco defender came in hard to Groff's legs, causing the middle official to stop the game for a penalty kick.
Messiah's leading scoring, senior Nick Thompson, stepped up to finish the play for the Falcons at the 62:38 mark, Thompson's seventh goal of the year.
With the game all but wrapped up, junior Sam Woodworth notched another impressive goal under his belt.
With his first goal of the season being dubbed as one of the greatest goals ever on Shoemaker Field, Woodworth made a timely run to the left post when sophomore Dan Squire crossed in a brilliant ball into the goal mouth. The ball found Woodworth's head, and the Boothwyn, Pa. native pounded it home for the final goal of the match with 32 seconds left.
It was Messiah's seventh goal of the season to come in the last 10 minutes of play — or overtime — this season.
But this time, it wasn't a decisive goal for the Falcons.
“I thought tonight, we continued to fight hard,” McCarty said. “We developed quality scoring opportunities and we finished strong.”
But McCarty said that he was most impressed with his second team.
“The second group played big for us tonight,” McCarty added. “They scored three goals and produced the penalty for us. I couldn't have asked for a better result from them. We need them for our success. They are a valuable part of what we do. We need them. They make us a dangerous team.”
That dangerous team — which has shut out four consecutive opponents — next looks to parade its number three ranking in the latest D3Soccer.com top 25 poll and number 10 ranking in the NSCAA/Hendrickcars.com Top 25 in front of a potentially-packed homecoming crowd Saturday evening.
Messiah's 2010 Homecoming game is set for 6 p.m. against league foe Widener University.
