Allentown, PA – No. 1 Messiah College scored three goals in each half to earn a convincing 6-0 win over SUNY Cortland in Saturday's Sectional Semifinal. Jeremy Payne and Jack Thompson each tallied twice and Brian Ramirez picked up two assists.
 
With the win Messiah moves into Sunday's Sectional Final where they will play Tufts University. The game will be played at Muhlenberg College and will start at 1:00 p.m.
 
The Falcons' scoring barrage started quickly as Jeremy Payne tallied in just the sixth minute of play. He took a through ball into the right side of the box from Brian Ramirez and turned sharply for a hard strike inside the far post. The goal was his 20th of the season.
 
Eleven minutes later Jakc Thompson set up another score, this time off a restart from 10 yards over the midfield line. He served to the right side of the box where Carter Robbins put a header across the six to Benji Kennel. His leaping header went over the reach of keeper Tim Beauvais; Kennel's header couldn't have been thrown any better as it went over Beauvais' leap and into net for a 2-0 lead.
 
The Falcons' commanding lead increased minutes later off the foot of Thompson. Jeremy Payne set up the tally with a hard, low cross from the right endline. The ball went just outside the diving reach of Beauvais and Thompson crashed into the center of the goal box for the score.
 
Altogether the Falcons only outshot the Red Dragons 5-4 in the first-half, but three of those shots went for goals. Just one of Cortland's shots went on frame, with Brandon West collecting the save.
 
Less than six minutes into the second-half Messiah tallied again. Bryant Myer did the honors this time, sending through a perfect free kick offering from inside the circle atop the 18-yard line.
 
The Falcons scored twice more before the 68th minute was complete, the first off a restart goal from Thompson and the other off a perfect header by Payne at the six-yard line.
 
The six goals by Messiah are their most in an NCAA Tournament game since they scored nine in a 9-1 win over Centenary College in last season's First Round; it is the most they've scored in a Sectional Semifinal game (or later) since a 6-0 win over Rochester in 2007. The lopsided win also enabled coach Brad McCarty to have all 24 players see action.
 
Messiah will now face Tufts University for the first time in program history. The Jumbos advanced into Sunday's match with a 2-0 win over Muhlenberg, with both goals coming in the second-half.