Messiah University

Grantham, PA – No. 1 Messiah College scored four second-half goals and locked up the MAC Commonwealth No. 1 seed on Wednesday with a 4-1 win over Stevenson on Shoemaker Field. Holly Burgard broke the stalemate early in the second-half with a beautiful chip at the six-yard line, and Nikki Elsaesser scored twice.
 
The Falcons (15-0-2) played to a 0-0 draw through the first 45 minutes, though they did outshoot the Mustangs 11-1. Five of the Falcons' first-half shots went on frame, with a few others blocked on or near the goal line. Marisa Weaver came especially close to tallying on two separate occasions, with a hard one-touch going wide of the post in the 13th minute and a shot getting blocked on the goal line in the 19th minute.
 
In the second-half, however, Messiah finally broke through the defensive-minded Mustangs. In the 53rd minute Weaver chipped a pass over the Stevenson backline and Holly Burgard quickly ran on for a one-on-one chance with keeper Tiffany McKee. Burgard reached the bounce first and deftly touched it over McKee and into the net for a 1-0 lead.
 
Just four minutes later Nikki Elsaesser made a brilliant strike from 23 yards out on the left side for a 2-0 lead. The goal was unassisted after Elsaesser took her defender down the sideline before cutting middle for the shot.
 
Elsaesser struck again in the 65th minute, this time after posting up inside the box and getting a slow feed from Marisa DeMonte. Elsaesser turned quickly to make it a 3-0 game and collect her 18th goal of the season.
 
Messiah made it four unanswered tallies in the 80th minute when Ally Reinhardt and Emily Lockwood executed some combo action and crossed for Trisha Tshudy atop the six-yard line.
 
The Falcons outshot Stevenson 21-2, though both of the Mustangs' shots went on frame. The second of those two came in the 86th minute after a wonderful through ball by Ashlyn Hawbaker set up a one-touch hit Allie Ondrejack inside the 18. Her shot went above the reach of Audra Larson and tucked under the crossbar. The goal ended a 12-game shutout streak for Messiah and was just their third goal allowed this season.
 
As mentioned, the win locked up the No. 1 seed for Messiah in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament that starts next week. Messiah is now 7-0 in the conference with one game remaining, at home against Alvernia on Saturday. Game time is set for 5:00 p.m.