CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Good things come to those who wait—or, rather, Waits.
 
No. 14 Messiah women's soccer broke out of their early-season scoring slump with three tallies in a shutout win at DeSales University. Maddie Waits scored her first two career goals to back an early tally from Ellie Lengacher, and the Falcons outshot the Bulldogs 19-3.
 
The win moved Messiah to 2-1-2 through five games, and DeSales fell to 3-2.
 
Breaking Through
The Falcons entered today's game with just one goal in their first four matches, though they looked poised to score early with three good looks in the first seventeen minutes of play. The last of that set came off the foot of Ellie Lengacher when she took a serve from Barb Foster and sailed a look from the six-yard line. Less than four minutes later Lengacher took advantage of another look with a strike from just inside the 18. Julia Kyne collected the assist on the goal.
 
(Mostly) Shutdown Defense
Messiah held long stretches of territory and didn't relent too many chances, though the Bulldogs scrapped their way up field enough times to keep the Falcons honest. The host's most dangerous chance came in the 59' when Angelica Bertola broke through for a 1v1 attack on keeper Lydia Ewing, but Ewing made a tremendous stop to hold the advantage.  
 
DeSales finished with just three shots, and just that single look on frame.
 
Adding On
The Falcons' lead doubled in the 71' with Maddie Waits' first career goal. She was played into the right side of the box by Abby Monko, and she cut back to the middle to set-up a left-footed strike to the far post.
 
Waits followed up that beautiful strike with another goal less than three minutes later. Monko and Brooke Firestone each collected helpers, with Firestone's serve from the end line setting up Waits for the finish in front of the net.
 
Up Next
The Falcons will now prepare to host No. 11 Carnegie Mellon on Saturday on Shoemaker Field. The Tartans are 3-0-1 and are coming off a scoreless draw at Ohio Northern from over the weekend.