Grantham, PA - No. 2 Messiah College scored two goals in each half on Wednesday to defeat Elizabethtown College 4-1 and move to 10-0 on the season. Nikki Elsaesser scored twice for the Falcons and both Erin Sollenberger and Marisa Weaver added goals.

The game did not settle for more than 10 minutes at the start, though Messiah soon started to take possession. Elsaesser nearly put the first goal through in the 11th minute, but Dana Robidoux made a sliding save on the six-yard line.
 
Though the Blue Jays nearly scored themselves a moment later on a look from Lauren Berry, it would be the Falcons to tally first. Erin Sollenberger did the honors in the 14th minute off a through ball from Marisa Weaver. Sollenberger took the feed atop the right side of the 18, and turned quickly forward for a hard strike off the reach of Robidoux and into the left side the goal.
 
Just three minutes later, Elsaesser put the Falcons up 2-0 with a hard strike of her own. Played down the left side, the Falcons' leading scorer cut middle as her defender slipped and took a shot from off the corner of the 18. The offer went on the ground and tucked inside the far post before Robidoux could cover.
 
Messiah nearly added to their total in the final minutes of the half, but close shots by both Olivia Snare and Regina Stump went just wide of the right post.
 
Nevertheless, it would be just five minutes into the second-half that Messiah increased their lead. Kyele Bridel set up Marisa Weaver for the third goal, hitting a perfect serve from the right touchline to the far post. Weaver ran onto the serve for an equally perfect redirection into the net.
 
Elsaesser added her second goal of the night moment later off a long through ball up the middle from Macaulay Soto. Elsaesser kept her defender on her back and carried to the keeper for a short shot across the box and over the goal line.
 
The Blue Jays earned a goal back in 79th minute, though Audra Larson did all she could to keep them off the board. The Messiah keeper made a quick diving save on a header flick by Callie McClanahan, but Elizabethtown earned a corner a moment later to set up the score. The corner serve went into a mess where Sydney Nester put a hard shot on frame that was punched off the line by Larson; however, the ball bounded to Lauren Fredericks for a shot that Larson had little chance to grab.
 
Though Etown's tally was just the second allowed by Messiah this season, it ended the Falcons' seven-game shutout streak.

The Falcons, who also moved to No. 1 in the latest D3Soccer.com Top 25, will next play on Saturday when they start Commonwealth play with Widener University. The game will start at 5:00 p.m. on Shoemaker Field.