XML Box Score Williamsport, PA - Messiah College was narrowly defeated by Lycoming College in the Commonwealth Quarterfinal game 8-7 after the Warriors held the Falcons scoreless in the fourth quarter. The Falcons held a 6-4 lead at one point in the third quarter but allowed the Warriors to end the game on a 4-1 run.
Alex Wylly robbed
Drew Pagenkopf of the game-tying goal with 1:01 left in the fourth quarter to end the Falcons' hopes of a playoff win. A pick left Pagenkopf wide open from 10 yards out; the shot was hard but Wylly was able to hang on to it at shoulder level.
The Falcons led nearly every category on the stats sheet, aside from the most important one.
Brady Marburger took every faceoff for the Falcons and won 16 of 19 in the game. That gave Messiah the ball often and led right to some of their goals.
Lycoming held the Falcons scoreless in the first quarter as well as the fourth but the Warriors got a little help from the iron in the first. With 41 seconds left to go
Nate Nester hit one off the post that would have brought the game to 2-1.
The Warriors looked to be in control in the second quarter when they took a 4-1 lead halfway through. Messiah went into the half with the momentum though, when
Andrew Harris and
Nate Nester tallied within 23 seconds of each other around the one-minute mark.
The Falcons used the momentum in the third to score three-straight and take a 6-4 lead. The run stretched for half of the quarter, where Messiah held the ball nearly the entire time. Harris,
Justin Bradley, and
Matthew Franken each scored goals to give the Falcons the advantage.
A flurry from both teams with fewer than two minutes to go in the quarter brought the score to 7-6 for Messiah heading into the fourth quarter. Lycoming started the flurry at 1:49 with a goal but Messiah answered with one by
Will Franken. The Warriors won one of their three faceoffs with 43 seconds left, which led to a goal by Matt McCaffer with 21 seconds on the clock.
Out of the six shots that Messiah took in the fourth quarter, Alex Wylly saved three to keep the Falcons off the board. That was the Falcons' fewest number of shots in any of the quarters and it was the only quarter that Lycoming outshot Messiah (8-6).
Each team executed five caused turnovers and neither team converted on man-up opportunities; although there were few penalties committed in the game. Messiah led on ground balls 31-23. The Falcons had the better clear percentage (87%-75%) but committed more turnovers in the game (24-18).
Messiah's 2014 men's lacrosse season ended at Lycoming today and they finished with a 7-9 overall record. The Warriors move on as the No. 4 seed and will play Stevenson University in a semifinal matchup.
