Box Score
Grantham, PA – Junior midfielder
Kyle Sproles led Messiah with five goals and one assist as the Falcons (3-2) claimed a convincing 25-2 victory over the Rosemont College Ravens (0-1) Saturday on Anderson Field. Saturday's game marked the first-ever collegiate contest for the visiting Ravens.
“I was pleased with the way our guys played today,” Head Coach Geof Weisenborn said. “I don't think we are where we need to be yet, but we came out today and executed a lot of things well.”
Thirteen different Falcons tallied a goal in the win, including four apiece from freshman
Drew Pagenkopf and 2012-leading scorer
Kevan Schellenberg. Senior
Josh Buswell dished out three assists and sophomore
Nate Nester added four points (1g, 3a) to his season totals.
After the final whistle, the Falcons held an astounding 63-13 shot advantage and managed to scoop up 36 more ground balls than the visiting Ravens. The Falcons failed to clear just once on 15 attempts and made the Ravens turn the ball over 28 times.
Junior
Matt Emerson went 13 of 14 on face-offs, while scooping up a game-high nine groundballs, and freshman
Jordan Smith went 7 for 16 at the face-off X.
Defensively, junior
Sean Keiper caused a game-high nine turnovers and scooped up five groundballs of his own.
Justin Regan scored both Ravens' goals and goalie Eric Diana collected 10 saves in the loss.
Schellenberg netted two goals in the game's first three minutes to start the scoring for the Falcons. Those two goals would be the first of seven the hosts would score in the games opening quarter, taking a 7-0 lead into the second.
The Falcons found the net five more times to open the second quarter before the Ravens' Regan would take advantage of a Falcon turnover and bury his first of the day past goalie
Steve Kozuhowski.
At the break, Messiah led 17-1.
The third opened as the Falcons and Ravens traded goals less than one minute into the quarter.
Drew Pagenkopf netted his second of the day just 27 seconds into the quarter before Rosemont's Regan scored his second at the 14:07 mark.
The Falcons finished the game on a 7-0 run in the third to reach the 25-goal mark.
Twenty-five goals is the Falcons' highest total since scoring 24 goals against Alvernia University on April 27, 2010 and the second-highest goal output in team history. In 1999, the Falcons put up 31 goals against King's College.
This game also marks the second time this season the Falcons topped 20 goals in a single game; the first against visiting La Roche College in February.
The Falcons will get a few days rest from lacrosse, as the college will be on spring break for the next week. The team plans on using the time off to do a service project in the Harrisburg area.
The Falcons return to the playing field at Neumann University on Saturday, March 17. Last year, Messiah handed Neumann a 20-8 loss to capture their first win of the season.
The opening face-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
