GRANTHAM, Pa. - Four second-half goals propelled the No. 1 Messiah men's soccer team to a 5-0 victory over the Baruch Bearcats on Saturday afternoon on Shoemaker Field. The Falcons were held scoreless for the first 40 minutes of the contest, but a score in the 42nd minute by Brit Haseltine and another from Jonathan Groothoff in the 48th minute, gave Messiah a 2-0 lead less than three minutes into the second-half.
 
Messiah scored two more goals exactly three minutes apart in the 61st and 64th minutes with Samuel Ruiz Plaza and Brit Haseltine notching tallies before Christian Valen capped off the scoring in the 71st minute with his second goal of the year.
 
The 5-0 victory, puts Messiah into the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament against Johns Hopkins after the Blue Jays claimed a penalty kick victory over the Washington and Lee Generals in the night-cap of Saturday's play.
 
The Falcons and Blue Jays will play on Sunday afternoon on Shoemaker Field at 1:30 p.m.

Breaking Through
After over 40 minutes of scoreless soccer, Messiah held a 10-1 advantage in shots and held the better run of play, but had yet to find the twine. In the 42nd minute, Samuel Ruiz Plaza took a rip from outside of the box toward the right post. The initial shot was turned away but the rebound was slid into the middle of the box by the Falcons and Brit Haseltine was there for the finish.

Messiah took the 1-0 lead into the half, but just over two minutes into the second period the Falcons doubled the advantage thanks to another finish from close range. In the 48th minute, Nick West carried possession to the end-line on the left-side and sent a low cross past the keeper standing on the near post to a wide-open Jonathan Groothoff. The one-touch shot was buried by the junior and Messiah held a 2-0 lead just minutes into the second-half.

Adding Insurance
The Falcons added three insurance goals in the span of a little under 10 minutes from the 61st to 71st minute. From well outside the box, Samuel Ruiz Plaza unleashed a rocket for the third goal of the afternoon for Messiah. Exactly three minutes later, Brit Haseltine was at it again, picking up a rebound off a shot from Nick West and ripping a shot into traffic that bounced off a defender and into the net for a 4-0 lead.

The Falcons capped off their scoring with a tally from Christian Valen in the 71st minute. The sophomore gained control in the midfield and carried to the top of the box with a Bearcat draped on his back. After shaking the defender Valen tucked a strike inside the left post for the fifth and final goal of the Opening Round victory for the Falcons.

Heading to Round Two
With Saturday's 5-0 victory, Messiah advances to the Second Round of the Tournament against the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. on Shoemaker Field. Johns Hopkins drew the Washington and Lee Generals in the First Round on Saturday, but advanced to meet the Falcons in the Second Round thanks to a 4-2 decision in penalty kicks. The Falcons and Blue Jays met earlier this season on Oct. 1 with the match ending in a 2-2 (2OT) draw. Messiah trailed 2-0 in the match with just 10 minutes remaining, but Nick West tallied twice in the final minutes to tie the match.