mlax031619
16
Winner Messiah MES 3-3
12
Grove City GRO 3-4
Winner
Messiah MES
3-3
16
Final
12
Grove City GRO
3-4
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Messiah MES 5 4 5 2 16
Grove City GRO 1 4 5 2 12

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Falcons Take Hard Fought Battle Over Grove City

GROVE CITY, Pa. – The Messiah College men's lacrosse team finished its fourth straight away game with a 16-12 victory over Grove City at Robert E. Horn Field on a cloudy Saturday afternoon. Liam Lilienthal finished with four goals in a back-and-forth affair to lead the Falcons, with Dylan Gillisse dished out a team-high four helpers. Cory Hurst and Joseph Franken each added three goals and one assist.

Saturday's victory improves the Falcons to 2-0 against the Wolverines all-time, winning last year's meeting 15-5 on Feb. 28 as well.

Messiah jumped out to a 5-1 lead at the end of the first quarter before the two sides played even through the final 45 minutes of play. The Falcons improve to 3-3 on the season and will get ready for the final non-conference matchup against Eastern on March 23. 

Messiah Takes The Early Advantage
Grove City struck first in the opening two minutes of the game with a Brett Gladstone goal. Just a few seconds later the tides changed toward Messiah with Quentin Johnson scoring his first goal of the season in transition thanks to a pass from Mitch Salanty. After Johnson tied the game up, Messiah added four more unanswered goals to close out the quarter, taking a 5-1 lead through 15 minutes of play.

Messiah began the second quarter with a Lilenthal driving goal with 11:17 left, opening a 6-1 cushion. Off the following faceoff, the Wolverines picked up a ground ball and advanced it down the field for Blaise Bishop to score, narrowing the deficit to four at 6-2.

The Falcons responded by scoring the next three goals from Lilienthal, Gillisse and Hunter Bellow. Their goals helped extend the Falcons' lead to 9-2 with six minutes remaining in the opening half.

Wolverines Fight Back
Grove City's comeback began with three goals in the final 5:30 of the first half. The run brought Grove City within four, 9-5, at the break. Both teams returned to the field with a new game plan after halftime. Sixteen seconds into the second half, Messiah gave up a turnover and Grant Evans of Grove City picked up the loose ball, marching down field. David Calhoun gathered the ball and ripped a shot in the back of the twine, cutting the Falcons lead to 9-6.

Following the restart, Honebrink won the faceoff and drove through the defense and scored seven seconds later. Honebrink's goal put the Falcons up 10-6 with 14:26 left in the third.

The Wolverines took the momentum with three-straight goals, including two in a span of 31 seconds. That flurry of activity brought the game within one at 10-9, the tightest margin since early in the first quarter. Messiah ended Grove City's run when Franken found the back of the net for his second of the day with 7:02 remaining in the third quarter. A minute later, Liam Lilenthal attacked left and saw an opening which he fired a rocket just outside the right leg of the goalie, sinking the goal. His tally helped the Falcons take a lead 12-9 but Grove City responded with a one of their own, 15 seconds later.

Both teams were scoreless for a three minute span until Messiah lost the ball but regathered by Dylan Gillisse who quickly dished a pass to Cory Hurst on the top of the formation who rocketed a shot past the Wolverine's goalie with 2:05 remaining in the third quarter. After holding a 13-10 advantage, Messiah kept the scoring going with a fast break opportunity which was converted by the open Lilenthal on the left side from a Gillisse pass over a few defenders. That earned a 14-10 lead heading into the final quarter.

A Physical Final Quarter
Grove City scored the opening goal of the four period, cutting the Messiah lead to 14-11 with 14 minutes remaining. Messiah changed goalies following the Wolverine goal, bringing Jacob Fahnestock in with 13:11 left in the fourth. Grove City's Brett Gladstone dodged through the defense and fired a shot in the back of the net, dropping the Messiah advantage to 14-12.

Grove City did not allow Messiah on its defending side for the first five minutes of the quarter but the Falcons changed that with a Hurst wrap-around goal. His tally increased the Falcons lead to 15-12 with 8:31 remaining.

With time winding down and the scoreboard showing six minutes remaining, Franken picked up a ground ball on the defending end and charged to Messiah's attacking end. He quickly fired a shot wide. Franken and the offense formed another play with 5:14 left and converted from Franken scoring unassisted and clinching the victory for the Falcons.

What's Up Next
The Falcons return back to action for a non-conference matchup against Eastern on the Lacrosse Turf at Grantham, Pa. The game is scheduled for Saturday, March 23 at 7:00 p.m.