Box Score
Williamsport, PA – The No. 14 Falcons of Messiah College won in convincing fashion on Wednesday, defeating Lycoming College 17-5 to move to 2-0 in the Commonwealth Conference.
Gabrielle Hamelryck led the way with seven points (three goals, four assists) while
Lizzy Keeney scored a game-high five goals.
The Falcons outscored the Warriors 10-2 in the first-half, though Lycoming led by both 1-0 and 2-1 margins early on. Maureen Heagy gave the Warriors a 2-1 lead with 22:24 on the clock, but Messiah responded to score nine unanswered goals starting with
Kiersten McGreer's game-tying tally on a free position shot.
Lizzy Keeney scored three times for the Falcons in the first-half, with Claire Stikelather and
Gabrielle Hamelryck each adding two goals. Hamelryck also collected four assists before the intermission, matching a season-high in just 30 minutes of play.
The Falcons' first-half dominance was the product of ball control, as they collected 10 draw controls to the Warriors' three and grabbed 20 groundballs to the Warriors' 14.
Taylor Phillips also did her part in the cage, saving five shots in the first-half—four of which came on free-position attempts by Lycoming.
Keeney and
Cecilia Kjellman each added two goals in the second-half as Messiah pulled away for the lopsided decision.
The Falcons did turn the ball over 20 times in the game—three short of their total in the past two game combined—but they grabbed 19 of 24 draw controls and finished with 30 groundballs. It all added up to 36 total shots—almost twice as many (19) as Lycoming.
Phillips also made another six saves in the second-half, including three more on Warrior free-position shots.
The win moves Messiah to 5-4 overall as they will look forward to playing on the road at No. 2 Salisbury University on Friday. The game will mark the Falcons' sixth contest against an IWLCA Top-20 opponent this season.
