XML Box Score with Phil Naegely, GoMessiah.com reporter

Hoboken, NJ - Eighth-ranked Messiah College Falcons traveled to Stevens Institute of Technology on Friday, looking to start their 2013 campaign with a victory. Before the match was settled in overtime, Messiah and Stevens played a physical game and battled for the ball on both sides of the field. In the end—and just 3:01 into the extra session— senior Brooke Sands scored a game-winning breakaway goal lifting the Falcons past the Ducks.
 
Within the first 10 minutes of play, Stevens earned two penalty corner opportunities, but Messiah's defense held strong and prevented their opponent from getting the early lead. Moments later Messiah would find their own scoring chance, with Moriah Pfautz's shot going wide and also signaling shifts in the game's momentum.
 
Messiah's offense soon found many chances to take the lead in the first half; Karin Holvik's shot was blocked on a penalty corner and minutes later Stevens' goalie Emily Stukenborg was forced to save Lindsay Bower's shot.
 
Messiah carried their late first-half momentum through halftime and found multiple chances to send the ball into the cage. In the first six minutes of the second-half alone, the Falcons registered three penalty corners and six shots.
 
In creating so many opportunities, it seemed just a matter of time before Falcons would register the game's first goal. They did so at the 47:25 mark when Pfautz found a favorable breakaway, eluded the defender, and beat the goalie on the left side. Her first-career goal gave Messiah a 1-0 lead.
 
"Moriah played very well. She is going to be an offensive threat this year," said Messiah head coach Brooke Good, speaking of Pfautz all-around game. "Her goal demonstrated her ability to pressure the ball, create a fast break, and then finish well."
 
After the goal, Stevens regained composure and earned multiple scoring chances, but none found the cage. But with less than four minutes to play (66:45) the Ducks earned a dangerous penalty corner and capitalized. Marguerite Chavez sent the ball into the circle and, off a few passes, Dailyn Brook found the game-tying goal.
 
With two more penalty corners in the final minutes Stevens came close to the upset victory, but Messiah's defense stood strong and forced the game into overtime.
 
Messiah dominated the overtime period, and created the game-winner when defender Becky Ely found a hole in the Ducks' defense and passed ahead to a running Sands. With only the keeper to beat on the breakaway, Sands juked past the keeper and scored the game-winning goal.
 
Both teams battled in the season-opening thriller and Coach Good was proud of the team's overall performance.
 
"It was intense way to start the season, but a hard fought and well-deserved win for the Falcons," said Good, clearly still reeling from the high-energy contest. "It was a great overall team effort."
 
Messiah improves to 1-0 on the season and will head back to the Garden State on Sept. 7 for a 1:00 p.m match-up against No. 14 Rowan University.

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