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Grantham, PA - Messiah College scored a single goal in each half on Wednesday night, earning a 2-0 win over Dickinson College. Junior
Alicia Frey scored the Falcons' first goal on a penalty kick, putting her team ahead after senior
Rachel Scheibeler was taken down in the box by the Red Devils' keeper. Scheibeler added a traditional goal in the second half, knocking home a feed from classmate
Alex Brandt.
“I think we're playing good soccer,” Messiah head coach
Scott Frey said after the win. “We made some good adjustments at halftime, which helped us with our possession. It was good for us to get that second goal early in the first half, because it took some pressure off.”
The Falcons' second goal, scored by Scheibeler, came in the 53rd minute of play off a helper by Brandt. With Brandt's attack through the midfield leading to a collapse by the Dickinson defense, Scheibeler was able to make a run into the right side of the box for the through ball. Two quick touches by midfielder set up a hard strike across the goal, off the left post and into the net.
For the senior, it was her second goal on the season. The assist was number four for Brandt.
The goal came at a good time for Messiah, as they were holding onto a slim 1-0 at the time. The Red Devils managed only seven shots in the game, but their attack was able to put decent pressure on the Falcons' defense throughout the contest.
“They kept playing and battling, showing good heart and desire—even when they went down a player,” Frey said, referring to an automatic ejection (second yellow card) of Ashley Fields in the 79th minute. “Give them credit. They had a few players that made it dicey at times.”
To Frey's point, Red Devils almost cut the Falcons' lead in half in the 87th minute as a shot by Cat Maugle went off the cross bar from 25 yards out on the left side.
“She crushed the ball,” Frey said. “It takes one great play like that to get them back in the game. They almost managed to do it.
“For us, it shows why we wanted to get one more score.”
Though Messiah was unable to get a third goal, they were able to limit Dickinson's chances. The Falcons' defense held strong in the back, with their offense knocking on the door with 13 second-half shots.
“Our defense has been steady,” Frey said, referring to Messiah's fifth-straight shutout. “We haven't been giving up many opportunities.”
On the opposite of the field, the Falcons continued to create opportunities to score. Messiah outshot Dickinson 21-7, with shots by
Mackenzie Clapper (crossbar) and
Holly Burgard (save) in the 73rd minute of play almost breaking the game open.
“In the second half, we did a better job of executing out passing, getting good service,” Frey said. “Our targets held the ball better than in the first half, and we did the little things that allowed for us to keep possession.
“Our younger players are doing some really good things out there,” Frey added. “We're still gelling together.”
Though their offense was more crisp in the second half, the Falcons were able to take a 1-0 less than seven minutes into the game. Once again, it was Brandt attacking through the midfield, finding Scheibeler on the right side of the box. Finding herself one-on-one with Dickinson keeper Annie Weichert, Scheibeler tried to take a quick touch to the middle only to be tripped by Weichert on her slide. With the whistle blowing on the play, the Falcons were awarded a penalty kick opportunity—made good by Frey.
The Falcons would attempt a total of eight shots in the first half, but would have to keep their 1-0 lead until Scheibeler's score.
With the loss, Dickinson falls to 6-2. Messiah, ranked #3 in the most recent NSCAA Top 25 Poll, moves to 7-1-1.
The win also concludes Messiah's regular-season, non-conference schedule. They will begin Commonwealth Conference play on Saturday, September 29, when the travel to conference newcomer Stevenson University for a game at 1:00 p.m.
