Box Score
Grantham, PA - Messiah College scored three goals in the second half on Saturday night, riding the momentum to a 4-0 win over Geneva College on Shoemaker Field.
Sophomores
Jeremy Payne and
Jack Thompson scored goals in a span of just 1:51 at the beginning of the second half to break open a 1-0 contest. Junior Josh Wood added the Falcons' fourth goal 20 minutes later to Messiah a four goal lead.
Messiah, ranked No. 5 in the most recent NSCAA Top 25 Poll, moves to 7-0-1 with the win. Geneva falls to 4-4-1.
Though the final score indicates a one-sided affair, the game was scoreless for most of the first half. The Falcons' first goal-- and the first goal of freshman
Bryant Myer's college career-- did not come until the 39th minute of play. Junior Josh Wood led the Falcons' attack in that minute, pushing the ball through the midfield and into the penalty box on the right side. A quick change of pace pushed Wood pass his defender before he crossed the ball to the left side of the goal. There, Myer came crashing through to one-touch the ball into the net.
"Josh worked really hard, and fought hard to get a good pass to me in the box," Myer said of the goal. "It felt awesome, and I'm glad I could help the team (by scoring the goal)."
The score led the Falcons to a 1-0 lead at the halftime, a deserved advantage considering the hosts outshot their guests 13-1 through the first 45 minutes. The offensive imbalance was the product of a sharp and consistent Falcons' attack, including solid play on the defensive end that continually thwarted any opportunities for the Golden Tornadoes.
Then—almost immediately at the beginning of the second half—the Falcons pulled away. Payne's goal, off a corner kick by sophomore
Brian Ramirez, was headed into the goal in the 53rd minute to give the Falcons a two-goal lead. Less than two minutes later, Thompson's goal would put the Falcons up three scores.
Thompson's goal—also assisted by Ramirez—was drilled on net from just inside the 18-yard line on a breakaway. His shot was deflected into the air by Geneva keeper Bryan Butler, but still managed to continue rolling behind Butler and across the goal line.
“I thought we played really well today,” Payne said of the Messiah effort. “In the second half, I think we tired (Geneva) out. We moved the ball really well, and our team moved well off the ball.”
For Payne, the goal was his sixth on the season; for Thompson it was number four. With two assists, Ramirez now has six to lead the Falcons.
The Falcons' last goal was collected by Wood, giving him three points in the game. His score came in the 74th minute, a strike from 15 yards out after he was found in the box by teammate
Danny Rowe.
For Messiah the scoring output is already the third time this season they've scored at least four goals, and the fifth time they've scored at least three goals. On Saturday, the goals were the result of 25 shots—10 of which were on goal.
Geneva was held to just two shots in the game, with
Brandon West and
Jake Berry untested in the Falcons' goal.
The Falcons' next game will their last scheduled non-conference game on the season, a highly-anticipated match-up with York College on Wednesday, September 26. The game is set for 7:00 p.m. on Shoemaker Field on the campus of Messiah College.
