GRANTHAM, Pa. - The No. 5 Messiah women's soccer team scored just over two minutes into the match against the No. 6 Johns Hopkins Blue Jays en route to a 3-0 victory on Wednesday night in an early season top-10 meeting on Shoemaker Field. Barb Foster got the scoring underway and the Falcons did not look back. Emily Lockwood tallied later in the opening half and Emily D'Amico put the finishing touches on the match in the 78th minute by tapping in a rebound off a Brooke Firestone shot.
 
The Falcons outshot the Blue Jays 22-6 in the contest and earned 10 corner kicks against Johns Hopkins' one.
 
Fast Start
Messiah got off to an extremely fast start thanks to a tally from Barb Foster in just the third minute of the match. Emily Kohl sent a cross in from the left-side and, after it went through the center of the box, found its way to Foster on the far post about eight yards out. Foster took a rip with the left-foot to the near post and beat the Blue Jays' keeper for the first goal of the game.
 
Just over 15 minutes later, Emily Lockwood doubled the Messiah lead after the Falcons built quickly out of the back. Messiah needed just six passes, in rapid succession, to get the ball to Lockwood's foot on the left-side of the box. While her initial shot was saved, the senior midfielder followed up her attempt with another and hammered the rebound into the upper netting for a 2-0 Messiah advantage.
 
Closing Time
The Falcons held the 2-0 lead into the break, but the Blue Jays were the ones who controlled the opening portion of the second-half. Johns Hopkins put four shots on goal in the first 10-plus minutes of the second-half, but Sarah Yunez made four saves to keep the Falcons' lead.
 
Messiah settled back down later in the half and, in the 78th minute, the Falcons put the game away for good. Brooke Firestone ripped a shot with the right-foot from outside the box, but the Blue Jays' keeper, Robyn Lipschultz made a diving save. Her save trickled to Emily D'Amico on the left-side of the six. The junior went far post with the rebound for the third and final goal of the night for the Falcons.
 
What Does This Mean
Every year it seems the Falcons and Blue Jays are in the mix at the top of the Regional Rankings, so having a controlling 3-0 victory over Johns Hopkins in their pocket can only bode well for Messiah. In terms of the National Rankings, taking down a top-10 team by multiple goals helps solidify Messiah's spot as one of the top teams in the country in the early going this season.
 
What's Up Next
The tests do not let up as Messiah hosts No. 7 William Smith at 5:00 p.m. on Shoemaker Field. The Falcons and Herons have played low-scoring, defensive matches in recent years with William Smith getting the better of Messiah by scores of 1-0 and 2-0 in 2017 and 2016, respectively.