Box Score
Owings Mills, MD – Messiah College opened up their 2012 Commonwealth Conference play with a decisive win on Saturday, defeating Stevenson University by the score of 6-1.
The win moves Messiah, ranked No. 3 in the most recent NSCAA Top 25 Poll, to 9-0-1 overall.
The Falcons came out aggressive from the start, with junior
Joshua Wood and sophomore
Jack Thompson almost collecting goals in the first 10 minutes. Wood's chance came in the fourth minute of the game, with his shot from 10 yards out sailing just wide of the left post. Five minutes later, Wood chipped a cross from the right end line to the middle of the box for Thompson, where his header went just over the cross bar.
Despite being kept off the board, the Falcons' early chances would be indicative of things to come for the visitors.
In the 26th minute, Thompson was fouled on his attack up the left side of the midfield. With the Mustangs' Bradley Davis receiving a yellow card on the play, the Falcons were given a free kick from 27 yards out. Sophomore
Brian Ramirez coolly knocked his attempt, lofting his shot over the Mustangs' wall and past the dive of Stevenson keeper Alex Zeidler.
Ramirez's goal—his first on the season—quickly opened a floodgate for Messiah, as they scored another goal just four minutes later. The score came from sophomore
Jeremy Payne after Wood played him a through ball behind the Mustangs' defense. Gathering possession 30 yards out from the goal, Payne quickly entered the penalty box before chipping the ball over Zeidler as the keeper came off his line to guard the attack.
The score gave the Falcons a two-goal lead, though they could have been up 3-0 if Wood hadn't been so unlucky just moments prior. On that play, Wood received a cross from
Aaron Myers while he was positioned just four yards out from the goal. With his back to the net, Wood flicked the cross off his heel to send the ball through the legs of his defender. But the ball grazed the Stevenson player just enough to keep it from crossing the goal line.
At the time the stop loomed large because, though Messiah would take a 2-0 lead on Payne's score, Stevenson would break-up the shutout just before halftime.
With less than two minutes to play before the half, a long cross from the right side of the midfield by Nico Garcia went to the left corner of the 18-yard line. There, Ryan Pierce put a strong header on the ball to send it over Messiah goalie
Brandon West and to the right side of the goal. After bouncing once—and with West turned around in his pursuit—the ball hit off the right post and caromed into the net.
The goal for Stevenson was the first allowed by Messiah in five games. It was Pierce's second goal of the season.
Ahead only a single goal through the intermission, Messiah quickly responded after play restarted.
Just 50 seconds into the second half, Thompson lined a corner kick from the right side to the near post. There, Wood deflected the ball to see it bounce two yards away to sophomore
Mike Kovach. His quick, powerful strike from the slight angle went zipping by Zeidler to give the Falcons a 3-0 lead. Wood and Thompson each collected an assist on the play.
Then, just 73 seconds later, Kovach collected his second goal in as many shots. This time, on the Falcons' counter up the midfield, he was played a ball from Thompson on a run behind the Stevenson defense. His streak to the ball was matched by Zeidler just inside the 18-yard line, with Kovach's lunge just lofting the ball over the diving goalie. As the two collided, the ball bounded over the goal line for the score.
Zeidler remained down the field after the play, eventually being removed from the game while showing no signs of permanent injury.
Now in command 4-1, the Falcons' quickly tested new Stevenson keeper Kevin Westenberg. In the 55th minute, Thompson again beautifully slotted Wood a ball in the penalty box, with Wood's clear shot being saved on a dive by Westenberg. Perhaps riding the momentum of his terrific save, the Mustangs' Ryan Pierce almost cut Messiah's lead in half once again. This time, the Mustangs' corner kick from the right side carried to the far side of the 18-yard line, with a header towards the goal being flicked by Pierce's back heel and over the cross bar.
That opportunity would be Stevenson's best chance at another score.
On the other end, Messiah seemed undeterred as they again erupted for two goals in a short span. In the 63rd minute, Thompson received a cross into left side of the Mustangs' box and quickly played the ball the middle. There, Payne stretched out his foot for the touch, with the ball deflected by Westenberg and into the net.
The goal was Payne's second the game, and team-high eighth on the season. The assist was Thompson's third of the game.
Leading 5-1 at this point, Messiah completed the game's scoring just three minutes later. Freshman
Bryant Myer did the honors, scoring a goal against the run of play against Stevenson's third keeper of the game, Kenneth Hersey. Myer's goal, his second of the season, was unassisted and scored from just inside the penalty box on the right side.
Messiah took 13 shots in the second half to finish with 19 shots in the game. Nine of the Falcons shots went on goal, with each Stevenson keeper collecting a single save. The Mustangs' took nine shots, with West,
Jake Berry, and
Aaron Hennigan combining for four saves in the Falcons' net.
The loss drops Stevenson to 5-6 overall, with their Commonwealth history beginning 0-1.
Messiah College will now look ahead to a match-up with Alvernia University on Wednesday, September 3. The game will be played in Reading, Pa., with the contest scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
