Grantham, PA – The No. 9 Messiah women's soccer team overcame adverse elements and a slow start to defeat the Widener University Pride by a score of 4-0. With winds constantly upwards of 20 mph and a wind chill in the low 40s, it took 65 minutes for the Falcons to break through on a score from Marisa Weaver.
 
Weaver connected again just two minutes later, and then Courtney Wagner curled in a shot two minutes after that to give the Falcons three goals in just four minutes of play. Emily Lockwood finished the scoring in the 74th minute, giving the Falcons the 4-0 victory.
 
Messiah outshot Widener by a count of 18-1 (9-1 on goal) and gained 10 corners to the Prides' zero. Widener goalkeeper Jenna Keating recorded five saves on the night, and Sara Yunez gathered in the only shot that came her way for one save.
 
With their 11th-straight win, the Falcons improved to 13-2 on the season and a perfect 6-0 in the MAC Commonwealth. Widener fell to 3-10-2 and 1-5 in the conference.
 
In the 21st minute, Messiah had their first good chance at a goal as Weaver stole a pass at midfield and took the ball down the right side by herself all the way to the top of the box. However, her resulting shot went straight at the goalkeeper, who caught it for the save.
 
Seven minutes before halftime, the Falcons nearly got on the board again as Lockwood slotted a pass to Weaver at the top of the box, who spun to her left and rocketed a left-footed shot that ricocheted off the left post and was caught by the goalkeeper.
 
At the half, Messiah had only mustered three shots, while holding the Pride without an attempt. The Falcons also took three corners to Widener's zero.
 
It took all the way into the 65th minute before Messiah would finally break through and score their first goal of the contest. Olivia Snare had a throw-in deep on the right side of the Widener end that she sent to Wagner, who sent it right back to Snare just above the end line. Snare fired in a beautiful cross and Weaver leapt over two defenders to solidly head it into the top-left corner of the net.
 
Just two minutes later, Snare and Weaver decided to reenact the first goal, as Snare took a pass from Julia Kyne down the right side again and fired another cross into the box, where Weaver was ready to knock it on off her head for her 20th goal of the season. It also gave Weaver her eighth multi-goal game of the year.
 
After going scoreless for much of the game, the floodgates were now open as the Falcons would score again after just two more minutes. Wagner sent in a throw down the right side to Kyne, who passed it back out to Wagner. She took one dribble towards goal and blasted a shot from 25 yards out that sailed over the keeper and dropped in under the crossbar to give Messiah a sudden 3-0 lead.
 
The Falcons were not done, as in the 74th minute Megan Mansfield gathered in a failed clear by the goalkeeper and fired a shot that was deflected back by a defender. She then passed it over to an unmarked Emily Lockwood on the right side who took a shot that the keeper dove and got a glove on, but still rolled into the goal just inside the left post.
 
The goal gave the Falcons a 4-0 advantage, which would hold for the rest of the game. Marisa Weaver tallied eight shots (five on goal) in the match to go with her two scores to lead Messiah.

Messiah next plays on Wednesday, Oct. 26 against Hood College at home on Shoemaker Field. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.