COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. - After the Falcons struck in the opening minutes of the contest, the Ursinus College Bears tallied one in the first quarter and once more just minutes into the third quarter to seal the 2-1 victory over Messiah. The Bears came into today's game after a hard-fought 5-4 (2OT) loss to No. 3 ranked Rowan University but proved their strength against the Falcons. 

Mackenzie Brubaker notched her second-career goal off of a corner just 3:44 into the game with the assist coming from Hannah Palm. Ursinus earned the slight edge against Messiah with 11 shots to 10 with both teams putting five on frame. The Bears kept the offensive pressure on throughout the game with six corners to Messiah's two.

Messiah stays on the road for their next contest with a game against No. 7 Salisbury University on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 1:00 p.m.

Back and Forth
Much like their last contest, the Falcons wasted no time finding the back of the cage after earning a penalty corner three minute and 38 seconds into the game. Coming off of the corner, Hannah Palm slotted the ball around the circle to Mackenzie Brubaker who rifled the ball into the left side of the cage to give Messiah the 1-0 lead. Just over five minutes later, Ursinus responded with a goal of their own after Gemma Dufoe tapped the ball just past goalie Megan Bomba to set the game a 1-1. 

Steady Pressure
Ursinus possessed the ball in their attacking third for the majority of the second quarter, recording four penalty corners over the course of 7:44. Goalie Megan Bomba made two saves despite Ursinus having momentum to keep the score at 1-1 before the Falcons took their first shot of the second period with 28:05 on the clock. That first shot of the period by Taylor Wiederrecht went wide and was followed up by two shots from Hannah Palm that were both blocked as time expired, sending the game into the halftime break.

Go Ahead Goal
Ursinus made quick work in the third quarter after earning a penalty corner two minutes and 15 seconds into the second half of regulation. Following the corner, the Bears struck two shots that were blocked before a third one found the back of the cage in the 33rd minute. The Falcons responded promptly with three shots from Makayla Malcolm but the Bears' goalie, Addie Frey, was perfect, turning away all three attempts in that one minute and 26 second window of opportunity for Messiah.

Taylor Wiederrecht was the only Falcon to get a shot off in the fourth quarter but Frey was there to make the save with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation. The Bears kept the ball in their attacking third as they played out the next seven minutes, recording one more shot before time ran out, giving Ursinus the 2-1 victory over Messiah.

What's Up Next
The Falcons continue their battle on the road with top-ranked teams this Saturday, Sept. 7, when they take on the No. 7 Salisbury Seagulls.