Grantham, PA – The No. 2 Messiah field hockey team dominated all aspects of play in an 8-0 thrashing of Stevenson University to open up conference play on Saturday afternoon. Six different players scored for the Falcons, including two goals just before halftime from Taylor Wiederrecht. Moriah Pfautz also found the back of the cage twice to go along with three assists to lead the offense.
 
Messiah improves to 7-1 on the season and 1-0 in conference play, while the Mustangs fall to 2-5 and 0-1.
 
The Falcons totaled 19 shots in the game, with 15 going on goal. They gained seven penalty corners, converting two into goals. Stevenson only managed four shots (two on goal) on the afternoon.
 
Ten minutes in, Pfautz sent an airborne pass into the circle from the left side that Kristin Donohue knocked out of the air and inside the right post for her first goal of the season. Just two minutes later, Kaylor Rosenberry received a pass from Carissa Gehman and smashed a liner that was deflected by Pfautz into the cage to give the Falcons a 2-0 lead.
 
In the 28th minute, Logan Ryan took the ball into the circle by herself and put one past the goalkeeper's left side, and the rout was on. It looked like the Falcons were going to take a 3-0 advantage into the break, but Wiederrecht had other thoughts. She subbed in at the 32:15 mark and proceeded to score just 19 seconds later off a loose ball in the circle, and then again 12 seconds before the horn off a perfect pass from Pfautz.
 
Three minutes into the second half, Pfautz jumped into the scoring column when Karalyn Schmidt took a shot that was deflected right to her feet for the easy goal. Pfautz added her third assist of the game another three minutes later, centering the ball to the left post where Taylor Holt was waiting to blast in her fifth goal on the year.
 
After a flurry of substitutions for the Falcons in the 47th minute, Ryan nearly scored again but had her shot blocked. Mattie Berger gathered the rebound and sent the ball into the cage to put a cap on the scoring for Messiah at eight.
 
Pfautz led the Falcons with three assists and two goals, while Wiederrecht capitalized on both of her shot attempts for two goals. Holt put three shots on goal, converting one. Shelby Landes started the game in goal for Messiah, but did not face a shot on goal. Megan Bomba came in for the last 25 minutes and recorded two saves.
 
The Falcons look to run their win streak to eight games when they travel to face Widener University on Oct. 1 for a 12:00 p.m. start.