YORK, Pa. – The Messiah women's lacrosse team fought back from an 8-5 deficit at halftime to score six goals in the second half and then edge the No. 6 York College 12-11 in overtime. A thrilling victory for the Falcons as they had previously fallen to two other top-ranked opponents, but not today. Courtney Wagner led the way with a career-high seven goals while Annika Johnsen finished with three.
 
After six minutes of play York got on the board first at the 29:00 mark when Skye Slater put one through the net but it didn't take long for Messiah to score the equalizer when Annika Johnsen scored just under three minutes later off a free position shot. Not long after the Spartans again took the lead 2-1 at the 25:15 mark when Kayleigh Phillips scored and then a string of eight minutes went by with either team able to capitalize.
 
York added to their total with two more goals to lead 4-1 before Courtney Wagner cut the deficit down one at the 12:50 mark and then about three minutes later Eliza Lortie pulled Messiah within one 4-3 with 9:16 left in the first half. The Spartans responded with two unanswered goals but the Falcons kept fighting and Katelyn Pearson found the back of the net with 5:36 left to make the score 6-4. York added two more goals in the half, while Messiah notched one, another one by Wagner, as the Falcons trailed 8-5 at the half.
 
A very heavy offensive first half as both teams combined for a 32 total shots, Messiah (13) and York (19).
 
The Falcons came out in the second half on fire as they quickly scored three unanswered goals to tie the game at eight with 24 minutes left to play. Annika Johnsen scored one and Courtney Wagner scored on a free position shot while Messiah was playing with a man-up. The spark kept going as just three minutes later Messiah completed a clear attempt and then Johnsen put another goal in to give Messiah their first lead of the game 9-8. York, did, however notch the tying goal at nine with 18:22 left to play, but Messiah responded with another goal from Wagner off an assist by Jamie Bishop to recommend control 10-9 at the 16:26 mark.
 
This game was certainly a tale of back-and-forth scoring as the Spartans once again tied the game up at 10 with 13 minutes left to play. After an eight-minute drought without any goals, Yorks' Devin Hursey put in the go-ahead goal 11-10 with just under five minutes in the game. Messiah wasn't stunned, however, and the player with the strong shot today, Wagner put in goal number six of the day to tie the game with three minutes to go. For the rest of the second half neither team had a good opportunity to put in a game-winner and so overtime was needed to decide this game.
 
The Falcons outscored the Spartans 6-3 in the second half to stifle York and it didn't take long for them to end this game as a little over a minute into overtime Courtney Wagner again notched a goal, the game-winner to lead Messiah to the 12-11 victory.
 
As aforementioned a good win for Messiah over a top-ranked opponent and they looked good even when trailing they stayed composed and kept fighting the whole game. York did outshoot Messiah 33-24, but the Falcons made every shot count and had 18 shots on goal compared to the Spartans 17.
 
With the win Messiah improves to 2-2 on the year and will be back in action on Tuesday Mar. 14 when they play Nazareth College as part of their spring break trip to Port Charlotte, FL. Game time is set for 10:00 a.m.