GRANTHAM, Pa. – In a game filled with plenty of possession and multiple near misses, Sunny Gelnovatch found the only goal Messiah needed to get past Scranton in the NCAA Second Round, 1-0. The goal came in the 67' and secured the Falcons' berth into the Sweet 16 for the 14th-straight season.
 
Scranton's season came to an end at 15-4-2, while No. 10 Messiah moved to 16-2-3.
 
Sunny Day for the Falcons
Playing in warmer temperatures than yesterday's First Round win over Westfield State, the Falcons found themselves in a battle against a Royals squad that committed to defending. After a first-half that included 11 shots and seven corners, Messiah played dee into the final period before finding the game's lone tally.
 
Action started for Messiah on the right flank in front of their bench, with Sarah Strachan beating her mark down the right side before sending a high-arching serve to the middle of the box. A Scranton defender tried to clear it off the volley, but the touch came right to the feet of Sunny Gelnovatch. She quickly sent a left-footed shot inside the right post to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.
 
Until that point, Scranton keeper Colleen Berry had made eight saves, but her dive across the frame could not keep Gelnovatch's shot from slipping through.
 
Hold Your Breath (x2)
Scranton found two moments to score in the second-half, and both had Messiah fans holding their breath. The first—and certainly most dangerous—opportunity for Scranton came in the 57' when a ball from the midfield was banged into Messiah's box. DJ Cole was backpedaling while Lydia Ewing raced off her line, and the ball bounced once before rolling to the feet of Casey Trezza for a look on the open frame. Her chip shot from inside the 18 was knocked off the line by Skylar Ulry, and the game remained scoreless.
 
Scranton's other chance was not as dramatic, but it was close. With less than 18 minutes to play a 30-yard shot from Erin Toburen tipped off the top of the crossbar.
 
What Could Have Been
The Falcons outshot the Royals 24-2, and more than a few of the Falcons' offerings were oh-so-close to getting past Berry. Perhaps the best of the bunch came less than 90 seconds into play when Abby Monko fed Julia Kyne behind the defense and into the left side of the box. Kyne found herself alone from 12 yards out, but her shot went over the crossbar.
 
Lilly Shover also came within inches of getting Messiah on the board with a direct kick from 30 yards out in the midfield and just before halftime. Her strike went over the reach of Berry, but banged off the front of the crossbar, back into play, and was cleared away.
 
Berry finished with nine saves, and her teammates kept the Falcons crowded in the box from start to finish.
 
In the Box
Messiah finished just seven corners—all in the first-half—but they didn't allow a single corner serve to the Royals. The second-half goal for Gelnovatch was her seventh on the season, and second in as many days. Strachan's helper was her second of the season.
 
Today's win also marked Messiah's 13th 1-0 NCAA Tournament win in program history, the last of which came just last season, 1-0 over Chicago in the National Semifinal.
 
Up Next
Messiah will now play MIT in the Sweet 16 next Saturday, with TCNJ serving as the host of the Sectional pod. Game time is yet to be determined. The Engineers are 20-1-1 this season and advanced to next Saturday's game with a First Round win over Castleton (7-2) and a Second Round win over No. 17 Middlebury (1-0).

TCNJ will play Lynchburg in the other Sectional Semifinal.