GRANTHAM, Pa. - The Messiah men's lacrosse team jumped out to a 4-1 lead against the visiting Franklin and Marshall Diplomats Saturday evening on the Lacrosse Turf Field.
Cory Hurst led the charge to begin the game, scoring two goals as the Falcons took a 4-2 lead into the second quarter. The Diplomats then scored eight times over the next two quarters to just two goals for Messiah to give themselves a four goal lead and eventually secure the 13-8 win. Franklin and Marshall outshot the Falcons 52-33 in the contest.
Cory Hurst scored three goals for Messiah to lead the way while
Mitch Salanty added two goals in the loss. Messiah drops to 0-5 on the season, and will be back on the field next Saturday afternoon at home, taking on the Grove City College Wolverines at 1:00 p.m.
Strong Start For Messiah
The Diplomats struck first less than a minute into the contest, but the Falcons dominated the rest of the quarter. As mentioned,
Cory Hurst had two unassisted strikes to begin the scoring for Messiah with
Mitch Salanty and
Owen Joyce scoring in the period as well. A late goal by Franklin and Marshall made it 4-2 heading into the second quarter.
Diplomats Grab Momentum
The Diplomats used a 4-0 run at the start of the second period to take a 6-4 lead over Messiah before the Falcons fought back. The momentum began to shift into Messiah's favor with goals from
Hunter Bellows and
Liam Lilienthal tying the game at six.
However, a late Franklin and Marshall goal in the second quarter turned out to be significant. They took a 7-6 lead into halftime, as they outshot Messiah 15-7 in the second quarter.
Late Push Falls Short
Messiah was held scoreless in the third quarter, as Franklin and Marshall played solid defense, only allowing four Messiah shots in the quarter. The Diplomats started another 5-0 stretch that extended into the fourth quarter to stretch their lead to 12-6.
Two early goals from Salanty and Hurst in the fourth quarter provided Messiah some hope, but it didn't prove to be enough as Franklin and Marshall came away with a 13-8 win.
What's Up Next
As mentioned, Messiah drops to 0-5 with the loss and will be back in action next Saturday when they take on Grove City College on the Lacrosse Turf Field beginning at 1:00 p.m.
