READING, Pa. - The Falcons controlled the run of play against the Albright Lions, earning a 21-2 advantage in shots en route to a 4-1 road conference victory. Messiah got on board first late in the first period with a goal from Nicole Shank in the 14th minute. Albright responded 3:51 into the second period to tie the game at 1-1 but Messiah regained the lead late in the second period and never looked back. 

With seven seconds on the clock in the second period, Kristen Musser picked up a rebounded ball and fired it into the back of the cage to give Messiah a 2-1 lead heading into the halftime break. 

Out of the break, Hannah Palm took a pass from Jennie Young and put it in the cage to extend Messiah's lead to 3-1 in the 33rd minute. Exactly three minutes later, Ashlyn Smith found Josie Weaver who tapped the ball in to give Messiah the 4-1 lead and eventual victory over the Lions.

Messiah is now 12-4 on the season and 6-0 in the conference. The Falcons are set to return to Grantham on Oct. 30 to take on Hood College at 6:00 p.m. for their final regular season conference match up. 

Heavy Pressure, Late Goal
As mentioned, Messiah controlled the run of play in today's contest. The Falcons earned 11 goals in the first period while managing to keep the Lions off the board. Messiah earned seven corners in the first period as well to the Lions' zero. 

Despite the early offensive pressure, Messiah wasn't rewarded for their efforts until the 14th minute when Nicole Shank put a rebounded ball into the back of the cage. Shank's goal was her third off the season and the first of the night for the Falcons, giving the team a 1-0 lead heading into the second period. 

Lions Respond
After Messiah earned a penalty corner in the 17th minute, the Lions worked down the field in the 19th minute to pressure the Falcons for the first time in the contest. Albright capitalized on their first opportunity, finding the cage off of their first shot to tie it 1-1. 

Back On Top
After nearly seven minutes of quiet play, the Falcons were on the attack again. Josie Weaver sent a shot just off frame in the 27th minute that seemed to get Messiah back on the attack. Messiah earned two corners and took two shots right before Kristen Musser scooped up a rebounded ball and found the cage to give Messiah a 2-1 lead with seven seconds remaining in the second half. 

Sealing The Deal
The Falcons didn't waste much time coming out of the halftime break as Hannah Palm took a pass from Jennie Young 2:38 into the second half and tapped it into the cage to extend Messiah's lead to 3-1. 

Exactly three minutes later, Messiah added their fourth goal of the game with this one coming off the stick of Josie Weaver to make it 4-1 in the 36th minute. Weaver tipped in the initial shot from Ashlyn Smith to earn the three-goal lead that would remain the difference in the contest. 

Both team's had a quiet fourth period as Messiah had two shots get saved while the Lions earned one penalty corner. 

What's Up Next
Falcons return to Grantham on Oct. 30 to take on Hood College at 6:00 p.m. to close out regular season conference play. Should the Falcons defeat the Hood Blazers on Wednesday night, it will be the fifth season in a row Messiah has gone undefeated in conference play in the regular season.