Box Score
By Matt McDermott, GoMessiah.com student manager
Grantham, PA — Administrators attempted to curtail the appearance of marshmallows Saturday night at Shoemaker Field.
They were about as successful as visiting Elizabethtown College was in stopping senior Nick Thompson.
Thompson scored three times — while white puffs littered the sky — as Messiah concluded regular-season Commonwealth Conference play in a 3-1 win over the Blue Jays, securing the top seed for the upcoming league tournament.
It was a fitting result for a team that entered Saturday's match on a 14-game winning streak, claiming its last eight victories in shut out fashion.
And while Saturday's classic rivalry would not feature a zero on the scoreboard, it was Messiah's eighth consecutive regular-season win over their nearby rivals, all coming in front of a jam-packed, marshmallow-hurling crowd of over 3,500.
“It's a special game, and it has been for quite some time,” said Messiah head coach Brad McCarty of the regular-season finale match-up. “I thought we played a good brand of soccer against a quality opponent. This game had post-season implications, so it was important for both teams.”
With the winner securing home field advantage throughout the upcoming Commonwealth Conference Tournament, action was quick to commence. Messiah (16-1, 7-0) got the party started in the eighth minute when junior Derek Black used his speed to create a chance to cross the ball into the midfield. The ball sailed high, where a charging, eldest-Thompson met the ball in the air, placing his header into the back of the net with brilliant accuracy.
But Elizabethtown (12-2-2, 6-1) dug deep to push back just over eight minutes later, creating some offense of its own.
It was then that Blue Jays' sophomore Javeim Blanchette passed to the left side of the field where classmate Ross Withdrow beat two Falcons' defenders, charging into the 18-yard box with great skill and touch. His ensuing shot was to the far post, beating sophomore goalkeeper Jake Berry in a breakaway, one on one opportunity.
Withrow's second goal of the year was the first goal allowed on the Falcons in 762:30 minutes, stopping Messiah's shut out streak, and giving the over three busloads of E'Town student fans something to cheer about.
“(Withrow) is a good player,” McCarty said. “He had a brilliant individual effort on the goal. He had (junior) Jordan Sands riding his hip for so long, then he beat two defenders by himself. He was a handful for us, not just on his goal but the entire night.”
With the game tied 1-1, Elizabethtown hoped to have new life. But anyone that knows the history of this year's Falcons' team knows that playing in close game is not a problem: Entering Saturday night, Messiah had played in five games decided by one goal this season, posting a 4-1 record.
Thankfully, on this evening, Nick Thompson was nowhere near being finished.
Just before the 23:30 mark, senior Geoff Pezon received possession from the wing and turned toward goal. Denouncing scoring aspirations of his own, Pezon played the role of selfless playmaker, sifting a through ball past three E'Town defenders to the feet of Thompson. ,
Like he has so many times, Thompson took a touch before opening up his hips, launching a rocket that beat Elizabethtown sophomore goalkeeper Eric Carr to the far post.
And with the assist, Pezon, — a 2009 First Team All-American and already Messiah's career leader in assists — became just the 15th player in NCAA Division III history to score 40 goals and 40 assists, and the first Falcon to ever reach the mark.
“I think Pezon's athleticism, his technicality, and not only his hard shot but his ability to curl the ball, allows him to score goals and get assists,” McCarty said about his starting midfielder. “And in order to get assists, you have you have good players around you. Geoff and Nicky have helped each other in a lot of ways. They play off each other well and give each other recognition. And Peez's assists are indicative of how we play and our desire to move the ball. That generates assists and he isn't a selfish player.”
With Pezon's name etched in even more books and a one-goal lead at the half, the stat book also favored the hosts: Messiah had a 6-4 advantage in first-period shots and a 2-0 lead in corner kicks.
But despite the lead, McCarty said that the game's first 45 minutes was a good fight between two good teams.
“I thought E'Town did a good job compacting the field and making it difficult to posses the ball,” McCarty said. “It was good for us to get a goal early, and they deserved to tie it up. Our defending was okay despite the goal, but (Elizabethtown) was dangerous on the counter in the first half.”
But McCarty also implored his team to continue pushing, citing the solid play from his second group and slow turning of the tide in the first half's final moments.
“We did a better job creating rhythm, especially in the last 15 minutes,” he added. “They were getting tired and we possessed the ball well. Our depth showed and I thought we deserved the third goal.”
That score wouldn't come until the 88th minute, but it would be another connection between seniors Pezon and Thompson.
With a superb off-the-ball run into the middle of the attacking third, Thompson received a perfect pass from Pezon and one touched past the last Blue Jay defender and Carr for the Hudson, Ohio native's 14th goal of the season.
The finish gave Thompson 51 goals on his career, while Pezon upped his career numbers to 41 assists complementing 50 goals.
“Good for him,” McCarty said about his leading goal scorer's hat trick. “For Nicky to get three goals against E'Town at home in this kind of environment is great. He has been important part for us all year, and he did a brilliant job tonight.”
Thompson has also truly been a Blue Jay killer, scoring seven career goals against Messiah's arch-rivals from Elizabethtown.
But in Thompson's own words, there has been a simple reason for his production in these games.
“I like eating marshmallows,” he said.
As Saturday's tilt concluded, Thompson and his teammates joined in the celebration with the fans, catching the sugary confections out of the air and throwing them back into the stands. By game's end, marshmallows littered the field.
“It's a unique rivalry with a rich tradition,” McCarty said. “We're obviously pleased to get the result here on our home field.”
With the win, Messiah will host fourth-seeded Lebanon Valley College in one of the Commonwealth Conference semi-finals Tuesday, a team the Falcons beat by a 5-0 score earlier this week.
Game time for Tuesday's is set for 7 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. Children under the age of six are admitted free.
