OWINGS MILLS, Md. - The Falcons showed their strength against the Stevenson Mustangs, earning a 3-0 victory after taking 29 shots throughout the contest, holding the Mustangs to just three. The Falcons also earned a significant advantage in penalty corners, earning 16 to the Mustangs' five. Messiah got on the board early with Taylor Wiederrecht finding the cage in the fifth minute to give the Falcons the 1-0 lead. Emily Knepp doubled Messiah's lead in the 17th minute after picking up a pass from Makayla Malcolm. Hannah Palm capped off the Falcons' scoring with a goal in the 27th minute, giving Messiah the 3-0 lead and eventual victory over Stevennson. 

The Falcons are now 8-4 on the season and 3-0 in the conference. Messiah will return to Grantham on Oct. 16 at 7:00 p.m. for a midweek non-conference matchup against the York College (Pa.) Spartans.

Early Chances
The Falcons came out ready to go against the Mustangs, earning four of their 16 corners in the first 5:38 of the contest. The relentless corner opportunities eventually resulted in a goal for the Falcons after senior forward Taylor Wiederrecht tapped in her sixth goal of the season to give Messiah the early 1-0 lead in the fifth minute. 

Messiah added in four more shots in the first period before earning a corner in the 13th minute but couldn't get anything out of it. The Falcons' best opportunity for a late first period goal came after Jenny Young was fouled in the circle on a breakaway play, giving Messiah a penalty stroke chance. Jess Davis stepped up to take the stroke but her attempt was saved by the Mustangs' goalie.

Persistence Pays
Messiah wasted no time in the second period to get on the board. 1:28 into the period, Emily Knepp took the pass from Makayla Malcolm and slotted the ball the back of the cage, doubling the Falcons' lead to 2-0. 

Messiah didn't let up, striking five shots and one corner over the course of 7:49 while allowing just one shot from the Mustangs. The Falcons pressured the Mustangs in their end for the majority of play and it paid of in the 27th minute when Hannah Palm picked up a loose ball and rifled it into the cage, giving Messiah a 3-0 lead with just under four minutes to play in the second period. Messiah added two more shots and a corner to the boxscore before the halftime break.

Skewed Second Half 
In the third period, Messiah recorded nine shots along with four corners to keep the Mustangs' defense busy. Unfortunately for the Falcons, their chances couldn't change the score as four shots were saved with four going wide and one connecting with the post. 

With the Falcons holding a 3-0 lead, the momentum remained on their side going into the fourth period. Messiah added four shots and another five corners throughout the period but were unable to find the cage. The Mustangs were able to record two shots along with four corners but goalie Megan Bomba made saved one while the other went wide. Stevenson was given a green card just before the end of the contest as Messiah coasted to a 3-0 victory against the Mustangs.

What's Up Next
As mentioned, the Falcons are set to play at home on Anderson Field against the York College (Pa.) Spartans for a midweek tilt on Oct. 16 at 7:00 p.m.