Box Score
Grantham, PA — Coming into Saturday's Commonwealth Conference Championship match-up against Elizabethtown College, Messiah head coach Brad McCarty said he believed it would be a one-goal game that would require a “moment of quality” to lay claim to the crown.
He was right on both accounts.
Messiah edged its arch rivals 1-0 thanks to one brilliant moment from senior Geoff Pezon, as the Tournament Most Valuable Player deftly redirected a cross from sophomore Logan Thompson into the back of the Blue Jays' cage in the game's 53rd minute.
It was all that the host Falcons would need to capture their fourth straight conference championship, as Messiah advances to its 14th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance as a result.
“I think it's really hard to play a team as good as E'Town twice in eight days,” McCarty said afterward. “I don't think it's easy at all. I said after last week's (3-1) win that I thought tonight would be a one-goal game. I didn't think last week's score was indicative of how close that game was. I was pleased with how we defended and created quality scoring chances tonight. I thought both teams played well, and I thought it was an entertaining game for the fans.”
As soon as the nearly 3,000 filed into the Shoemaker Field stands on a cold, November night, the action heated up. Junior Derek Black nearly gave Messiah a 1-0 lead just 2:03 into the contest, collecting a ball on the left side and ripping an absolute rocket of a shot from just outside the 18-yard box, the ball dipping below the crossbar at the last possible second.
Elizabethtown sophomore goalkeeper Eric Carr leapt and punched the ball over the top of the cage at the last possible moment, however, the first of eight saves on a busy night for the Blue Jays' backstop.
“E'Town's keeper played very well tonight,” McCarty said of the First Team All-Commonwealth selection, “but I thought we did a good job of keeping the pressure on.”
Just a week after scoring three times on just 12 shots on goal, Messiah (18-1) upped its production to 21 total shots Saturday, with nine coming on frame.
The Falcons could only produce six shots in the game's first 45 minutes, however, and after dodging an early chance at an Elizabethtown equalizer, went into halftime with the score deadlocked at 0-0.
“I think both teams are quality sides,” McCarty said. “Both teams played with extreme effort. At halftime, we talked about the game requiring a moment of quality. That was needed if we wanted to win.”
In the 53rd minute, McCarty got his wish.
Just three minutes after Pezon worked his way to the end line and fired a flat-angle shot that nearly bounced off a Blue Jays' defender and into the back of the net, the Blandon, Pa. native used his head.
Literally.
After Logan Thompson won a ball on the E'Town half of the midfield stripe, he sent a curling ball in from the left side.
Making a run from the midfield, Pezon met the ball at its apex, directing it back to the left post.
His shot hit the turf and banged off the post, coming back across the goal mouth — and just out of the reach of Carr, who had dove trying to stop the initial effort.
The ball slowly trickled into the right side of the net, giving Messiah the eventual game-winner.
“Logan served a great ball into the box and Peez had a great finish,” McCarty said. “He deserved (the tournament) MVP. He's an important player for us, and he helped give us that moment of quality that made the difference.”
Incredibly, the statistics would lead one to believe more moments would follow.
Messiah outshot Elizabethtown (13-3-2) by a 15-2 count in the final period, repeatedly forcing Carr to make brilliant saves to maintain a one-goal difference. In the 65th minute, junior Sam Woodworth drew a foul just steps outside of the Blue Jays' 18-yard box, and Black sent another screamer that looked to be dipping below the crossbar, only for Carr to punch the free kick away.
With less than 18 minutes to play, sophomore Dan Squire dribbled his way through three defenders to create a one-on-one chance with Carr, only for his point-blank shot attempt to be swallowed up by the Blue Jays' backstop.
In the 88th minute, junior Kent Ramirez was fouled hard in the 18-yard box after getting past his defender on the wing, earning the Falcons their fifth penalty kick of the season.
Senior Nick Thompson — three for three on the year from the PK spot — was called upon once more, but missed his attempt just wide.
“For us to score three times on just 12 shots is pretty unusual,” McCarty said, referring to Messiah's win over Elizabethtown last weekend. “I thought tonight was a bit more indicative of how a game like this could play out.”
McCarty said his team spent time reflecting on last week's meeting, both in the classroom and on the practice field.
“We tried to do a good job of recognizing the things we did well the first time playing them as well as areas that we could do better in, so we could have a better chance in this game,” he said. “I thought last week they did a good job of limiting our wing play. We talked about that both technically and tactically, and I thought our wings really improved their level of play.”
Black's four shots equaled the most on the evening and led a total eight attempts from the Falcons' flankers. Elizabethtown's best chances to tie the game came off a pair of headers — one in each half — but both floated harmlessly over the crossbar.
The Blue Jays' final hope came on a corner kick with 33 seconds on the clock, but even bringing Carr into the scrum could not result in a shot: Junior Jordan Sands headed the ball out of danger, and Messiah had won its 18th game in a row.
“Elizabethtown is a good team,” McCarty said. “I don't know if they'll get (an at-large bid) to the NCAA Tournament, but I think they deserve one. They are a quality side that plays very hard.”
McCarty's group is not too shabby in its own right, as Messiah completed its second flawless season in league play under its new program leader, posting a composite 14-0 record in conference games — and a 4-0 mark in the league tournament — since McCarty took over last year.
“I don't think (winning conference championships) is something we talk about,” McCarty said. “Our focus is on the small details, in doing things well and in doing things right. We want to be the best team we can become, and we want our guys to be the best teammates they can be. What you get is guys all wanting the same thing. Obviously, we want to win every time we step on the field, but we really want the culture and environment to be brilliant.”
Messiah will now await Monday's NCAA selection show to find out where, when and who it will face in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. NCAA.com will air the broadcast live at 2 p.m. EST. Brackets and tournament information will be posted at this website once it becomes known.
