Box Score
By Matt McDermott, GoMessiah.com student manager
Center Valley, PA — Messiah's lacrosse team is doing its best Charlie Sheen impersonation.
“Duh, winning!”
After the Falcons started the season dropping their first two games and only scoring eight goals, Messiah has not stopped winning, beating DeSales University 15-5 and posting the team's sixth straight victory.
But it wasn't the Falcons that struck first, as per the case in four of the last five wins. No, it was DeSales' (1-7, 1-3) sophomore James Guerrier that scored just over a minute in that put the Bulldogs up.
But Messiah would respond with style. At the 11:52 mark freshman Brian Meenan was at the top of the crease, picked up a ground ball and launched an epic fake. His defender turned completely around, creating enough space for Meenan to virtuously walk toward goal and score his ninth goal of the season.
Messiah's first run of the day saw swift passes and excellent shot selection. Of Messiah's six total shots in the first quarter, five of them were shot on the cage, and four resulted in scores from four different players.
It was a clear advantage to this team that makes Messiah dangerous.
“Everyone is a threat to score,” senior J.J. Miller said after his two-goal and two-assist afternoon. “Even if an opposing team's defense can shut someone down, we have nine-plus other guys who can step up and score. No one guy is selfish to be 'The Man,' either.”
The second quarter was when things started to get a little messy. Literally. With forecasted rain for much of the day Wednesday and DeSales' grass field serving as the backdrop, the surface became a swampland, where each team had to slow down and adjust to the altering conditions.
The Falcons and Bulldogs traded one goal apiece in the second period. Sophomore Kevan Schellenburg scored for Messiah (6-2, 4-0) with 2:44 left to play in the half, scoring his team-leading 15th goal of the season.
But Messiah has been known to start the game off strong and start the second half with little momentum. On the season, the Falcons have scored 11 fewer goals in the third quarter than the first (19-30).
“All season long we have been struggling a bit with momentum coming out of halftime,” Miller said. “Coach(Geof Weisenborn] has done a good job pushing us, reminding us that we hadn't played our best game yet and we had to keep pushing even though we had a lead.”
Message received.
The Falcons blew open the doors with five goals in each of the final two quarters — the most goals scored in the second half for the Falcons on the season. Sophomores Jess Rogers and Heath Kupecky — as well as Miller — each scored twice in the half. Six of the team's 10 goals were assisted as well.
“We just did a good job of working for good shots,” senior Phil Wendt said after his two-goal, one-assist performance. “We didn't settle for shots from far out or with defensemen in our gloves. We played smart and we didn't force too many things. And although, at times we looked a little sloppy, we stuck to our game plan.”
The Falcons' defense did work as well, allowing their second lowest total of goals on the season. The Falcon D forced DeSales to take 16 shots off the cage and senior Zach Cureton stopped six of 11 shots on cage.
“Our defense played really strong,” Wendt said. “We didn't get beat off the dodge very often. Most of their goals were in unsettled situations. Overall, I thought things were solid in the back.”
With the win, Messiah is one win away from tying the program's second longest winning streak and tied at the top of the MAC with Eastern University and Widener University. But that win may not come so easily, as the Falcons host Eastern University Saturday at Anderson Field.
“It's going to be a war,” said senior Eric Petters.
Wendt agreed.
“(Eastern) is playing really well,” Wendt said. “They are also undefeated in the conference. Over the last few years, they've kinda become a new rival. A bunch of us on the team know Eastern players pretty well. Plus, it will probably be the most intense game we've ever played here at Messiah. Eastern, another Christian school, a rival, on Anderson, on a Saturday night, under the lights … it doesn't get better.”
Game time is set for 7 p.m.
