GRANTHAM, Pa. - No. 2 Messiah women's soccer earned a 6-0 victory over the visiting Widener Pride on Homecoming. The Falcons scored three goals in each half, en route to the commanding victory. Megan Mansfield and Sunny Gelnovatch led the offense with a pair of goals each. Mansfield stuck for a goal in each half, while Gelnovatch scored both of her goals in the second-half.
 
In addition to the braces from Gelnovatch and Mansfield, Jessie Fisher and Ellie Lengacher found the back of the net for Messiah. Fisher got the scoring going with a tally in the sixth minute and Lengacher tallied in the 44th minute for her first goal of the season.
 
Messiah held the Pride without a shot in the contest, while taking 24 of their own. The Falcons put 18 of their 24 attempts on frame.
 
Early Lead
Messiah built a quick two-nothing lead with goals from Jessie Fisher and Megan Mansfield in the first 11 minutes of the match. The Falcons opening the scoring in the sixth minute when Kayla Herr sent a quick pass to Fisher at the top of the box. Fisher set and hit a one-time shot from the penalty spot to the right-post for a 1-0 lead.
 
Five minutes later, a through ball from Sunny Gelnovatch sprung Mansfield loose for a one-on-one chance with the keeper. The Widener keeper came off her line and Mansfield beat her with a left-footed strike for her sixth goal of the year and the 2-0 lead.
 
Continued Pressure
The 2-0 lead continued into the 44th minute of the opening half when Ellie Lengacher extended the advantage to a 3-0 lead with a beautiful header off a cross from Ashley Sauder. The cross was played from the right-side and set-up Lengacher's first goal of the season.
 
In the 52nd minute, Messiah found the back of the net twice thanks to goals from Sunny Gelnovatch and Megan Mansfield 41 seconds apart. Gelnovatched scored off a pair of quick passes from the right-side that led to the low shot.
 
Much like her first goal, Mansfield carried forward along and forced the keeper to come off her line, but this time she slotted a right-footed shot past a sliding keeper for the 5-0 Messiah lead.
 
Capping It Off
In the 79th minute, Gelnovatch capped off the 6-0 victory with the final tally of the evening. As she has a number of times this season, Gelnovatch unleashed a curling rip from downtown that tucked under the bar from close to 30 yards out.
 
What's Up Next
With the victory, Messiah moves to 14-1-0 on the season and improves to 7-0-0 in the MAC Commonwealth. The Falcons have just two matches remaining in the regular season and will next take the pitch on Wednesday night when they travel to Arcadia for a MAC Commonwealth showdown with top-seed in the conference tournament on the line. The Falcons and Knights will play at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday night in Glenside.