Grantham, PA – Claire Stikeleather scored five times and the Falcons outshot McDaniel College 46-17 in a 16-11 win on Saturday afternoon. The win pushed Messiah to an even 2-2 on the season, while McDaniel fell to the same record.
 
The Falcons led just 8-7 at halftime, but they picked up the defensive pressure after the break to pull away from the visitors; Messiah allowed just six shots to McDaniel in the second-half while forcing the Green Terror to make 14 turnovers. The Falcons' dominant final 30 minutes was aided by an 18-6 edge in groundballs.
 
Three of Stikeleather's goals also came after the intermission, with each of those tallies contributing to a 6-1 run that turned a one-goal lead into a 14-8 advantage. Carly Bajus, Liz Brennan, and Ida Ehrhardt also tallied over that stretch.
 
For as well as the Falcons played, the result could have been much worse for McDaniel if not for the terrific play of goalie Lily Galzerano. She made 18 saves on the afternoon, six of which came on free-position shots by Messiah. Galzerano also made four highlight-reel stops in the first four minutes of the second-half in her attempt to keep her team close.
 
Despite Galzerano's best effort, McDaniel could not withstand the balanced play of the Falcons. Eight different players scored for Messiah, with Bajus, Marybeth Bindel, Ehrhardt, and Sam Babbitt all joining Stikeleather as players with multiple goals. Madi Brunk added two assists, and both Brunk and Stephanie Athens collected a team-high three draw controls.
 
To go along with her five goals, Stikeleather earned a game-high three caused turnovers.
 
The Falcons' dominance from end to end helped them hold territory for long stretches, and also create plenty of scoring chances. Their aggression around the cage also led to season-high's in both free-position shots (16) and goals (six).
 
Now 2-2, Messiah will look to build a win streak when they host No. 13 York College on Wednesday, Mar. 11. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m.