Grantham, PA - The No. 9 Messiah men's soccer team scored three times in the first-half, and Jonathan Groothoff notched his first career goal late in the second to give the Falcons a 4-0 win over Widener University.
 
Jacob Bender, Nick West, and Zack Bosshard tallied the first-half goals for Messiah, who outshot Widener 29-1 (14-1 on goal) in the contest. Messiah has never lost to Widener in program history, now going 26-0 with a 105-6 advantage in goals scored.
 
The win moves the Falcons to 13-0-3 overall and 6-0-0 in the MAC Commonwealth. The Pride fall to 3-10-2 and 1-4-1 in the conference.
 
Bender got the scoring started in the 16th minute when he took a free kick from around 30 yards out that curled up over the wall and down into the top-right corner of the goal, just past the outstretched hands of the Pride keeper.
 
At the 31:51 mark, Colby Thomas brought the ball up the left side and raced past a defender to get into the box for a one-on-one with the keeper. His attempted chip shot was saved and deflected over to the right side of the goal, where West came sprinting in and slid to knock the ball into the net for his third goal of the season.
 
Less than three minutes before halftime, Zeb Cross sent in a ball to Zack Bosshard at the top of the box. Bosshard took a few touches to his right to draw out the keeper before sending a shot across the goal that snuck in past the left post for the senior's first goal of the year.
 
At the half, Messiah led 3-0 and recorded 15 shots to Widener's one, while taking four corners.
 
Samuel Ruiz Plaza very nearly added to the Falcon lead in the 68th minute, as he blasted a shot from 25 yards out that clanged off the crossbar.
 
The fourth goal would not elude Messiah, though, as in the 82nd minute Atu Galadima sent a cross in from the left corner to Groothoff at the top of the box. Groothoff took a couple steps to his right and sent a shot to the left side that got past the outstretched hands of the Pride keeper.
 
The Falcons did not allow a shot in the second-half and took the 4-0 victory. Pride keeper Dave Sousa registered 10 saves on the night, while the trio of Messiah keepers (Connor Bell, Jonathan Weaver, and Nate Flanders) did not face a shot on goal.
 
Jacob Bender led the Falcons with one goal on four shots (three on goal). West had a nice game as well, tallying a goal on two shots that both were on target.
 
Messiah returns to action on Tuesday, Oct. 25 when they take on Hood College at home at 7:00 p.m.