Grantham, PA - Bring out the marshmallows, and the magic returns to Shoemaker Field.

Jacob Bender delivered a game-winner in the 98th minute and Messiah College earned a thrilling 1-0 win in a Marshmallow Bowl match-up with rival Elizabethtown College on Wednesday night. Bender's shot came from 25 yards out in the midfield as he took advantage of a second-long moment to launch a shot on frame. The ball was deflected ever-so-slightly and caused keeper Ryan Sandell to stumble as the ball darted over the goal line.

The goal was Bender's fourth of the season. Messiah moved to 6-0-3 with the win, while Elizabethtown fell to 5-1-1.

The win avenged a 1-0 loss on the Blue Jays' home field last season, and it was the sixth-straight win by the Falcons over the Blue Jays on Shoemaker Field. The game also proved to be another classic chapter in the famed rivalry dubbed the "Marshmallow Bowl" and, despite the intermittent periods of rain throughout the game, the fans did not disappoint in their firing of all sizes of marshallows at each other, the players nearest to the stands, and anyone else within reach.

The players also answered the call of the rivalry, though it wasn't until the second-half that Messiah was able to settle in and start to win the territory battle. Ten of the Falcons 12 total shots came after the break, and they held Elizabethtown to just five looks across the second period and overtime; Messiah also finished with a 10-3 edge in corners on the night, and all 10 of their attempts came after the halftime. Even still, the Blue Jays had probably the best chance in regulation off a free kick with just over two minutes to play, but Sam Feehrer's offering went through the wall and directly to the hands of keeper Connor Bell. A corner by the Blue Jays a minute later also led to a dangerous chance, but again Bell grabbed a shot on the line to keep it scoreless.

In the overtime period Messiah took three shots, and all of them came from Bender. The final one of those three came off a feed from Colby Thomas as he slotted a pass to space into the midfield for Bender. The senior jogged onto possesion and touched once before rifling a shot through the box and to the goal. As mentioned, Sandell looked to have a read on it, but the wet ball scooted by him and set off the celebration from the Falcons' team and the 2,000-plus Messiah fans in attendance.

Connor Bell finished with four saves for the Falcons, and Sandell collected six saves of his own for the visiting Blue Jays.

The decision keeps the Falcons unbeaten this year, and they'll look to get a win streak going when they travel to Lebanon Valley this Saturday to open MAC Commonwealth play. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m.