GRANTHAM, Pa. – No. 11 Messiah men's soccer scored four goals and played sharp from start to finish in a 4-0 win in their home-opener Saturday night.
Kirby Robbins tallied the Falcons' first two goals in front of more than 3,000 fans as Messiah improved to 3-1 on the season.
Montclair State managed just two shots on goal and fell to an even 2-2.
Early Highlight, Late Cushion
Messiah took a 1-0 lead in the just the 14' when
Kirby Robbins put through an impressive strike from just outside the box.
Samuel Ruiz Plaza played Robbins from midfield, and the senior turned up the field and hopped past a single defender before unleashing on the goal. Keeper Mike Saalfrank had little time to react and had no chance to reach across the frame.
The goal for Robbins was his second on the season, and it wasn't until the 68' that he earned his third. This time is was
Micah Fitz who found Robbins square across the 18, and Robbins quickly pushed to his right to fire past Saalfrank from 15 yards out.
Put Away
Despite the crisp play from the Falcons, the game included more than a few hard fouls. Four yellows were given out—three to Montclair—and another foul by the Red Hawks gave the Falcons a penalty kick in the 82'.
Colby Thomas sent it through for a commanding lead.
With less than four minutes remaining
Cooper Robbins scored his first career goal to put a bow on the win. His tally was a mix of effort and fortune as he followed up on a loose corner serve with a cleats-first slide inside the goal box.
Shoemaker Shutdown
Montclair managed 11 shots on the night, but just two went on frame. Rafael Terci collected that pair, with
Connor Bell making routine saves each time. Bell and his backrow teammates kept the Red Hawks frustrated all night, and each time Montclair seemed to break through they couldn't capitalize.
Up Next
Messiah will stay home for their next match on Wednesday, Sept. 13. The Falcons will host local rival Dickinson at 7:00 p.m. The Red Devils are 2-1 entering their game with Gordon tomorrow afternoon; Dickinson's lone loss thus far is to MAC Commonwealth member Lycoming by a 3-0 score.
