Grantham, PA – No. 17 Messiah College used a quick start and a full-field effort to defeat rival Lebanon Valley College 11-6 on Saturday afternoon. The win pushed the Falcons into sole possession of first place of the Commonwealth Conference, and it also gave head coach Heather Greer her 100th career win.
 
Messiah moved to 4-0 in the conference (8-4 overall), and the loss dropped Lebanon Valley to 4-1 (8-5).
 
Casey Daggett scored twice for the Falcons in a fast start, helping her team to a 5-0 lead with less than fifteen minutes run off the clock. Daggett also collected an assist in that stretch as Messiah used an aggressive attack and a strong ride to jump all over the Dutchmen early.
 
The Falcons carried a 6-2 lead through the half, and they increased their advantage quickly in the second frame. Stephanie Athens and Claire Stikeleather did the honors to make it 8-2 and give the Falcons their largest lead of the afternoon.
 
Lebanon Valley did keep pace with Messiah after their early deficit, but they managed only to trade goals as the second-half minutes ticked away. Sam Boyce finished with three goals to lead the Dutchmen, though Alexa Dipeso came up with big saves when they were needed for the home team.
 
Athens sealed the game with an electric score with 2:27 to play, as she caught a pass from Stikeleather and fired through on her run across the cage.
 
The Falcons owned a huge edge in draw controls (12-7), which helped them own territory for large stretches of play, especially in the first-half. The Falcons' ride and defensive unit also executed well to keep the Dutchmen from getting open looks toward the cage.
 
Jenna Stover finished with five of the Falcons' 12 draw controls, while Molly Devilbiss collected six groundballs and three caused turnovers. Becky Ely and Brooke Gamble were also standout performers as they kept Sam Boyce and Anna Pagels in check for large chunks of play.
 
As mentioned, the win gave coach Heather Greer her 100th career victory with the Falcons. Her record over seven-plus seasons is now 100-40, and she has a mark of 62-6 in conference play. She is first coach in Messiah men's and women's lacrosse history to reach the 100-win plateau.
 
Messiah will next play on Wednesday when they travel to Reading, Pa., to take on Albright College. The game will be played at 7:00 p.m. at a neutral site, Wilson High School.