XML Box Score Marisa Weaver's goal in the 109th minute gave No. 8 Messiah College a thrilling 1-0 win over No. 24 William Smith College on Saturday afternoon on Shoemaker Field. The score ended a hard-fought battle between the two rivals, with both teams fighting through fatigue in the sweltering heat.
Weaver's strike came off a corner kick that was initially grabbed by Herons keeper Nicole McGlinchy in the air, with possession becoming loose as stumbled in her landing. Weaver rushed in from behind the play to punch the ball through and set off the celebration.
"Sometimes you keep hanging in long enough and you get a break," Messiah head coach
Scott Frey said. "I'll give our group an A+ for fighting like crazy. We battled the entire afternoon."
Both teams battled throughout the 100+ minutes, with few great chances for a score. Still, each team did manage to test the keepers, but McGlinchy and Messiah's
Audra Larson stood firm. Larson was especially solid for Messiah, making all five of her saves after halftime.
"(William Smith created a couple of scary chances," Frey said, reflecting on the Herons' opportunities to score. "Audra came up with some big plays, including in the air. She owned the box for us and took care of things that could have been trouble."
Larson's play, and the play of Messiah's defense, proved valuable since the Herons controlled much of the territory in the second-half. It wasn't until near the end of regulation and in the overtime sessions that the Falcons started to get back into their field.
In the first overtime Weaver almost ended the game after getting around her defender and into the left side of the box. Her shot from 10 yards off the post went wide, though, sending the game into the second overtime moments later.
Each team collected a shot in the final frame, with Larson making her final save in the 106th minute to keep it scoreless. Less than three minutes later the Falcons took their fourth corner of the game to set up Weaver's goal.
The win moved Messiah to 3-0, with their last two wins against No. 5 Johns Hopkins and the Herons. William Smith fell to 1-2.
"To say we would be 3-0 at this point, with a 2-0 week this week, that's good," Frey said. "But we have to keep improving and getting better.
"We'll take the result, but now it's back to work."
The Falcons will next play on Wednesday, Sept. 10 when they host University of Mary Washington at 6:30 p.m.
