Box Score
By Matt McDermott, GoMessiah.com student manager
Glenside, PA — Different day. Same story. Different scorer.
Messiah traveled to Arcadia University Saturday afternoon in a rematch of the 2009 Commonwealth Conference Championship game and duplicated the result, as junior
Tom Renko scored in the 82nd minute to beat the Knights, 1-0.
It was the 10th straight win for the program this season, while Renko's goal was the sixth to be scored with less than 10 minutes to play — or in overtime — this season.
“We're happy to get the result,” said
Brad McCarty, Messiah head coach. “It's been a bit of a test for us the last few weeks, and we're pleased with the progress that we're making.”
Playing its third road contest in its last four games, Saturday's first half was a battle for possession in the midfield, and chances were few and far between for both teams.
“Arcadia came out with a lot of energy,” McCarty said. “They pressured the ball and disrupted our flow really well. I thought their high pressure forced us into making some bad decisions.”
A first-half stalemate ensued, as the even nature was seen all over the field. Messiah was outshot by Arcadia 4-3, with three of the hosts' shots being saved by sophomore keeper
Jake Berry. The one bright spot for the Falcons was corner kicks, as Messiah held a 3-1 advantage.
The ability to get corners in the first half would prove to be beneficial in the second, as half time adjustments from McCarty and staff would eventually turn the momentum in favor of the Falcons.
“We changed a few things at halftime because we saw some things that we could try and exploit,” McCarty said. “I thought they got a little more tired than we were, I thought we were fresher in the midfield. We started to make some dangerous chances in the second half. We had more of the possession in the half. I thought we pinned them in a lot more in the half, and that we flowed a lot better overall.”
The disparity between the halves proved to be great, as Messiah outshot the Knights 12-2 in the latter 45 minutes, generating four corners as well.
None of those were more important than the one taken in the 82nd minute.
As the clocked ticked away in the second half, junior
Derek Black took the corner kick with momentum in Messiah's favor. With chaos occurring in the box, the ball popped out to Renko, unmarked just 10 yards out. Renko collected and roofed his shot with force, scoring with just 8:40 to play.
“It wasn't the best looking game by far, but it was a good result,” McCarty said. “I'm proud of the guys. They showed a lot of toughness today, and we persevered in challenging conditions.
“I think the mentality of the guys, our depth, the fact that we play a lot of guys,” he continued. “We stay fresh. They guys are in great shape and well-conditioned. We finish stronger than we start. We aren't just waiting for one guy to score. There are a lot of dangerous guys who can score a game-winning goal, and Renko demonstrated that tonight.”
Renko became the fifth Falcon with at least one game-winning goal this season. It was Messiah's third straight shut out performance.
“I'm really proud of the defense,” McCarty said. “The rhythm they are in has been great for us. The back four played well and Jake had another good game. The defense helps in how we gain possession and control possession. We've been more aggressive on defense and it helps us pressure into our opponents' half.”
Messiah has a quick turnaround upcoming, as Lycoming College travels to Grantham to face the Falcons Tuesday in a prelude to Homecoming weekend. Tuesday's game is set for a 7 p.m. start at Shoemaker Field.
