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Grantham, PA – For the second time in as many games, the Falcons' men's soccer team scored four goals en route to a decisive victory, this time defeating Mary Washington 4-1 on Shoemaker Field.
Messiah scored two goals in each half, with sophomore
Jack Thompson collected the game's first and last scores.
Jeremy Payne added his fourth goal in Messiah's last two games, while
Brian Ramirez and
Sheldon Myer recorded assists in the Falcons' third win of the season.
Playing in front of an unusually small crowd of just over 1,400 fans—surely due to the terrible storms throughout central Pennsylvania throughout the day—the Falcons still provided much to cheer about. Thompson's first goal came in dramatic fashion, as he put a header on a corner from Ramirez in the 25th minute of play.
“We've been working hard on putting shots on goal, and we want to take pride in getting them into goal,” Thompson said. “We were able to do that again tonight, and the fast start was good for us.”
The Falcons took a 2-0 lead just before the intermission, as freshman
Danny Rowe benefited from his applied pressure on Eagles keeper Tyler Beck. With Beck charging to clear a ball from the box, Rowe jumped to try and deflect to ball in the air. He did just that, with the ball bounding off of Rowe and across the goal line.
Though taking their advantage into the break, Messiah would see their lead cut in half just thirty seconds into the second frame. A miscommunication by the Falcons' defenders awkwardly left the ball rolling across the top of the 18-yard line, where striker Nick Shepherd gathered possession for a shot on goal. Seemingly defenseless on the play, the ball went past Messiah keeper
Brandon West for the first goal allowed by the Falcons this season.
Now leading only 2-1, Messiah quickly regained control. It would be less than four minutes later that junior
Sheldon Myer put a perfect cross from the right side into to the box for Payne, where his one touch five yards out would fly into the net on the right side.
Messiah would play with their 3-1 advantage for the next 35 minutes, with Thompson completing the scoring in the 84th minute of play off a direct kick from 23 yards out towards the right side of the penalty box.
For Messiah, ranked No. 17 in the most recent NSCAA Top 25 Poll, it was their second straight game of scoring four goals following
Wednesday's 4-0 win over Haverford College. On Saturday, Messiah's scored on four of their 11 shots on goal, taking 31 shots on the Eagles' goal.
“Putting shots on goal is important for us,” head coach
Brad McCarty said, echoing the thoughts of Thompson. “We want to have a higher percentage of our shots go on goal, but we were able to create good opportunities today that paid off.”
The loss drops Mary Washington to 3-1, with Saturday's game finishing a little different than the
2-1, overtime victory by Messiah in 2010.
“(Mary Washington) is a good team, and they spaced the field nicely tonight,” McCarty said of the Eagles. “I think they made some really nice plays through their midfield, but our guys were able to protect our possessions and create our own chances.”
The Eagles collected just eight shots on the night, with Beck making seven saves in goal. West made one save for the Falcons. Mary Washington also collected three cards on the even, two of which were red cards—one each to a player and bench—in the final minute of play for unsportsmanlike behavior.
Messiah will next play on Wednesday, September 12, when they travel to Gettysburg College. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.
