XML Box Score with Phil Naegely, GoMessiah.com reporter

Glassboro, NJ- Coming off a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory against Stevens Tech, No. 8 Messiah College traveled to No. 14 Rowan University on Saturday for an afternoon matchup. After Marisa Marini gave Rowan the lead late in the first-half, Messiah saw Rachel Cox, Moriah Pfautz, and Celina Nissley each second-half goals to lead the visitor's to a 3-1 victory.
 
The game started off very physical with both teams battling for the ball and sending shots on goal. At one point early in the first-half, Messiah fired off five-straight shots in a five minute period only to see Steph Colombo make two saves on those that went on goal.
 
Messiah outshot Rowan 10 to four in that first frame, but the Profs took the lead right before halftime. Marisa Marini advanced into the circle and collected a Courtney Aquino pass and chipped a shot past both the defense and goalie Molly Gebrosky. The 1-0 lead came at the 32:29 mark of the game.
 
Heading into the intermission, coach Brooke Good knew the Falcons needed to make minor changes to their overall strategy.
 
"We talked about changing our offensive strategy a bit and playing better team defense," said coach Good. "Those changes made a huge difference in the second-half."
 
Messiah's second-half adjustments allowed them to find good—and quick— scoring opportunities. At the 43:01 mark, Messiah earned a dangerous penalty corner and eventually capitalized with the equalizer; thirty seconds after the penalty corner, Emily Bower connected a sharp pass to Cox who found the back of the cage.
 
After their first goal, Messiah kept the pressure on Rowan and found the lead 18 minutes later. A shot by Bower was deflected by the goalie, with Pfautz pouncing on the loose ball and finding the back of the cage. Her second goal in as many games gave the Falcons the lead for good.
 
Still, an insurance goal came just five minutes later. Just like the previous goal, the Falcons scored off the rebound, this time off the stick of Celina Nissley.
 
"This game really proved that we can be tough, persevere, and fight until the end," said coach Good, noticeably proud of her team after fighting back from the first-half deficit. "Getting three second-half goals was a huge accomplishment."
 
With the result, Messiah moves to 2-0 on the season while Rowan falls to 2-1. The Falcons will play their first home game of the season on Wednesday, Sept. 11, against Juniata College. Game time is set for 5 p.m.

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