Box Score
Gettysburg, PA - Despite goals from six different players and a strong showing from junior goalie
Jon Weimer, the Messiah College Falcons could not produce enough offense to upend the 12th-ranked Gettysburg College Bullets during Saturday's wind-blown contest. The Falcons came up just short, falling in a 9-8 decision in both teams' season openers.
The Falcons were led on offense by junior
Heath Kupecky's three-point performance (two goals and one assist) and
Kyle Sproles' two goals. Four other players added goals including defenseman
Jared Nies.
Martin Manilli led the Bullets in scoring with four goals and one assist while junior goalie J.T. McCook collected seven saves in the winning effort.
Messiah had its chances late to send the game into an extra frame.
Senior
James Baden pulled the Falcons within one during an extra-man opportunity with 1:16 left in regulation off an impressive pass from Kupecky.
The Bullets would gain possession of the ensuing faceoff and take the ball into their offensive end.
But junior
Sean Keiper forced a turnover and the Falcons gained possession from the defensive end when Weimer found a wide-open
Greg Morrissey at the midfield line with just under 30 seconds to play. The Falcons managed to get a quick shot off towards the cage, but missed. Fortunately, the Falcons were able to retain possession.
With less than 15 seconds remaining Baden tried to maneuver to the front of the cage, but the ball was checked from his stick and found its way into the opponent's grasp as time ran out, ending the Falcons' chances of upset.
Messiah looked good early as they jumped out to a 3-1 lead before the first break, with goals coming from Kupecky, Nies and junior
Matt Emerson.
But the Bullets would respond quickly to open the second quarter, netting two goals in the first 57 seconds to tie the game at three a piece. A minute later Sproles tallied his first for the day to put the visiting Falcons up by one midway through the second stanza.
Messiah allowed two more goals before Kupecky would bury his second of the day with just under five minutes remaining in the first half. The teams would stay locked at five going into the halftime break.
Gettysburg opened the third quarter with Manilli's third of the day and Pat Sartory tallied another to stretch the Bullet's lead to two midway through the third quarter.
Messiah's
Kevan Schellenberg tallied a goal with 5:37 remaining in the third to pull within one of the hosts. Messiah's defense stiffened to keep the Bullets off the board for the rest of the frame. Sproles added his second of the day with 28 seconds left to play in the third to send the game into the final quarter tied at seven.
The contest remained tied until 6:02 remaining when Manilla scored his fourth of the day. Shortly after Sartory added his third of the day to put the game out of reach at the 4:36 mark.
Baden's late goal and the turnover by the Bullets made for late game theatrics, but the Falcons just could not pull off the upset.
Coach Geof Weisenborn had little to say of the effort put forth by his team but did mention that his team was heading in the right direction. “We saw a good team today, no doubt and I think this was a step in the right direction, but we still must start doing the little things right to be successful.”
The Falcons will have a chance to improve on the little things as they play their home opener Wednesday, February 29th at 6:00 p.m. against the visiting La Roche College Red Hawks.
