GRANTHAM, Pa. - The top-seeded Messiah men's soccer team defended their home turf on a chilly Wednesday night in Grantham. The Falcons jumped out to an early lead with three quick tallies in the first 18 minutes of the game before adding a late insurance goal for the 4-0 victory over the Stevenson Mustangs.
 
The victory advances the Falcons into the MAC Commonwealth Championship Game on Saturday night where Messiah will host the second-seeded Lycoming Warriors on Shoemaker Field at a time to be dertermined. Lycoming defeated the Arcadia Knights earlier in the afternoon 3-0 to move into the Championship Game.
 
Messiah had four different goal scorers with Lucas Kokolios, Micah Fitz, Ben Lefever, and Darryl Daniels all tallying in the victory.
 
Falcons Seize Control with Early Scoring
Messiah wasted little time jumping out to a multi-goal lead. In the ninth minute, Messiah struck off a corner kick from Lucas Kokolios. Messiah went with a short corner with Kokolios sending a ball to Micah Fitz on the edge of the box. Fitz touched the ball back to Kokolios who delivered a ball into the middle of the box. Reid Ruark ducked under the delivery and the ball bounced past the keeper for a 1-0 Messiah lead.
 
Less than seven minutes later, the Falcons struck again, this time off the foot of Micah Fitz. In the 16th minute, Fitz took his defender one-on-one and beat him to his right. His defender fell in the process, allowing Fitz space to unleash a rip into the upper netting of the goal for a 2-0 Messiah lead. The shot from Fitz came just outside the six on the right-side on a pretty severe angle.
 
Just two minutes later, Fitz put on nearly the identical move and beat his defender again to the right. This time the defender stayed on his feet and Fitz had to settle for a low cross to the near post aimed at Ben Lefever. Using his right foot, Lefever redirected the cross off the keeper and into the side netting for his sixth tally of the season.
 
Falcons Control Possession
Messiah held their 3-0 lead through the half and into the second-half. The Falcons continued their controlling play through the middle of the game, with dangerous chances by Kokolios in the 52nd minute saved and Reid Ruark in the 76th minute just wide.
 
In the match, Messiah attempted 26 total shots against eight for the Mustangs. The Falcons put 10 attempts on frame against just two from Stevenson.
 
Daniels Adds Late Insurance
Messiah added an insurance goal in the 82nd minute off the foot of Darryl Daniels to make it a 4-0 game. Matt McDonald battled his way for possession at the top of the box on the right-side, eventually bullying his defender to the ground and picking up possession. After a touch, McDonald sent a square ball to Daniels on the left-side of the box. As the keeper attempted to recover, Daniels sent a shot to the middle of the goal over the keeper's left shoulder.
 
The tally was Daniels' second of the season and third in his career.
 
While both teams put shots on goal in the final minutes, both keepers recorded saves and Messiah earned the 4-0 victory to advance into the MAC Commonwealth Championship Game.
 
What's Up Next
With the victory, Messiah will square off with the Lycoming Warriors in the Conference Championship Game on Saturday night at a time to be dertermined. Saturday's meeting between the Falcons and Warriors will be their fifth match-up in the Conference Championship game since the 2014 season.  Messiah has a 2-2-1 record in those Title Games, but three Championships after winning 4-1 in penalty kicks last season.
 
Earlier this season, Messiah earned a 1-0 victory over the Warriors on Oct. 16 thanks to a Brit Haseltine goal in the 33rd minute. The Falcons outshot the Warriors 16-7 in the match.