Box Score
Aston, PA – The Messiah College Falcons traveled to Neumann University Saturday to capture their fourth win of the season over the host Knights by a score of 13-5.
This season's leading-scorer
Kevan Schellenberg added four goals and an assist to his season totals in the winning effort. Junior
Kyle Sproles added three goals of his own and sophomore
Josh Kerr netted two.
The offense often found itself in possession of the ball in part to another strong showing from the Falcons' defense and another good day at the face-off X by junior
Matt Emerson (15-21). The win marks the fourth time in Messiah's four wins that the defense has held their opponent to six goals or less.
“Our defense played really well today. We all have developed a lot of confidence in each other [on the field],” senior goalie
Steve Kozuhowski (7 saves) said after the win. “The guys forced Neumann to take the shots that I wanted to see and knew I could save.”
Neumann was led in scoring by freshman Ryan O'Kane's three-goal performance and goalie Andrew Neubauer made 15 saves in the loss which drops the Knights to 3-4.
Neubauer kept the Knights in the game early, saving Messiah's first 4 shots on cage to keep the game scoreless until the 11:04 mark when sophomore
Josh Kerr netted his first of the day.
The game remained at 1-0 until Neumann scored two quick goals late in the period to take its only lead of the day, 2-1.
The Falcons tied the game at two on a nifty feed from
Nate Nester to senior
James Baden, who buried a shot at the 1:52 mark. Less than 30 seconds later, a hard dodge and well-placed shot from junior
Zac Smith put the visitors up for the rest of the game.
Five goals in the second period, including one with three seconds remaining, put the Falcons up 8-3 at the halftime break. Falcons goals were scored by Sproles (2), Schellenberg (2), and Kerr in the period.
The Knights managed just two goals in the second half while the Falcons added five more of their own to seal the victory.
The Falcon defense limited the hosts to just 21 shots on the evening, while the offense managed to send 50 toward the Knights' net.
The win pushes Messiah to 4-2 on the season heading into next Saturday's matchup at former MAC conference foe, Eastern University. This year the MAC conference has been split into two divisions, the Commonwealth and the Freedom, which Messiah and Eastern compete in, respectively. Next Saturday's (3/24) tilt is set for 2:30 p.m in Saint David's, PA.
