Grantham, PA – In a game full of hard-luck misses, Messiah College got one favorable bounce that proved to be the difference in a 1-0 shoutout on Shoemaker Field. The Falcons' lone game came in the 72nd minute when a long strike from Jacob Bender ricocheted off Kirby Robbins and over the goal line.
 
The tally was credited to Bender for the shot, though Robbins' inadvertent touch was probably the difference considering keeper Zach Rider looked readyto stop the attempt. That was one shot Rider could not get as he was on his way to 10 saves. He was a standout for the Crusaders all night, winning balls both in the air and on the ground to frustrate many of the Falcons' 19 shots.
 
Nevertheless, the tally was the fourth for Bender and it helped the Falcons to their fifth-straight shutout.
 
As the shots (29-3) and corners (15-1) numbers would suggest, Messiah held the majority of territory throughout the evening. But Alvernia was quick and committed on the defensive end, and Messiah was frequently denied the space they needed around the box for a clear shot. They were poised for just that moment in the 22nd minute when Bender sent a sharp cross to six-yard line for a header from Benji Kennel, but his shot went wide. Even still, the ball went right to the foot of Will Cochran on the left side but his shot was blocked inside the goal box and then cleared away.
 
Missed chances like those continued to add up, and the 6'4" Rider continued to come up in big spots. In the 57th minute Rider made a great save on a quick breakaway shot from Nick West, and he even turned away the subsequent offering from Cochran. Those two grabs were a couple of four saves the keeper grabbed in a 31-second span.
 
The game continued scoreless until the 72nd minute when Messiah played off a corner. Zack Bosshard went short to Nathan Eagan, and his square pass to Bender set up a long shot. Rider was on his line and had an eye on the ball, but Robbins inadvertently redirected the ball just out of the reach of the keeper and into the net.
 
Connor Bell was untested in the net for Messiah, and the Falcons' defense has now allowed just five shots on goal in the past five games combined.
 
The win for Messiah pushed them to 13-4-1, and also 7-1 in the MAC Commonwealth. They will next play in the conference semifinal on Wednesday, Nov. 4 when they host No. 3-seeded Lebanon Valley at 7:00 p.m.