GRANTHAM, Pa. – The No. 1 Messiah men's soccer team scored a pair of goals in the second-half to claim a 2-0 victory over the visiting Eastern Mennonite Royals on Saturday. The victory extends Messiah's winning streak to five games.
David Alejos opened the scoring by finishing a low cross from
Jonathan Groothoff in the 53rd minute.
Nick West scored his 10th goal of the season with a rip from outside the box to extend the Messiah lead to the eventual margin of 2-0.
Messiah controlled possession on the evening, outshooting the Royals 26-4, but put just seven shots on target, thanks to a strong effort by the Eastern Mennonite defensive line throughout the night, particularly in the opening half.
The Falcons advance to 5-0-1 on the season and will next take the field against regional-rival York College (PA) on Sept. 19 on Shoemaker Field at 7:00 p.m.
Quiet Start
Despite Messiah holding the vast majority of possession in the first-half, the backline of the Royals' defense held firm and did not give Messiah any quality looks at goal in the opening half. While Messiah took 13 shots in the first 45 minutes, only one tested the Easter Mennonite's Emmanuel Kampanga between the pipes. That shot came on a header from
Brit Haseltine in the 44th minute.
The Falcons continued to pressure in the opening minutes of the second-half with three shots and a corner in the first five minutes of the second period, but the match remained scoreless until the 53rd minute.
Big Moments
Messiah finally broke through when
David Alejos was on the end of a low cross from
Jonathan Groothoff in the 53rd minute. Groothoff carried into the right corner and sent a cross to the top of the six on a bounce. Alejos ran onto the cross and tucked his shot inside the left post to put Messiah on the board.
In the 81st minute,
Nick West struck from downtown with a right-footed strike from straightaway outside the box. West touched to his right to create some separation from his defender before striking for his 10th goal in the last five games.
What's Up Next
The Falcons will now turn their attention to the York Spartans, whom they host on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. on Shoemaker Field.
