OWINGS MILLS, Pa. - The No. 10 Messiah women's soccer team earned their sixth-straight shutout victory with a 3-0 win over the Stevenson Mustangs on Wednesday night. McKenzie Swartley netted the first tally in the 25th minute off a rocket from outside the box before Jessie Fisher and Kristina Akselsen added to the lead in the second half.
 
Messiah outshot the Mustangs 16-5 in the contest, putting eight attempts on frame while holding the Mustangs without a shot on goal.
 
The victory extends the Falcons shutout streak to a half dozen games and moves the Falcons to 6-0-0 in the MAC Commonwealth. Messiah moves to 11-2-1 overall and will be back in action on Saturday when they host Widener at 7:30 p.m.
 
Getting on the Board
The Falcons were on the attack for the entiriety of the opening half, attempting seven shots while holding the Mustangs without an attempt. Even with the heavy pressure and possession throughout the 45-minute period, Messiah was not able to connect until the 25th minute when McKenzie Swartley scored her first tally of the season.
 
Off a corner kick, Messiah saw the ball trickle out to Swartley outside the box. Swartley took a controlling touch and then launched a rocket to the left upper 90 for a 1-0 Messiah lead.
 
The Falcons carried that 1-0 lead through the half.
 
Mustangs Have a Look
Just 10 minutes into the second half, Stevenson had their best chance. On the third of three-straight corners between the 55th and 57th minute, Stevenson had their best look of the evening. Attempting to find the equalizer, Michelle Mesquita delivered a header that went just wide of the left post. It looked like the Messiah defense had it covered, but they were not tested.
 
Adding On
Just moments later the Falcons doubled their lead with a perfect cross from Thea Neimond to Jessie Fisher. Neimond went one-on-one with her defender on the left endline and beat her to the inside. Neimond delivered her cross to the penalty spot for a cutting Jessie Fisher, who met the feed for a one-touch shot into the back of the net. Fisher's second goal of the season made it a 2-0 lead for the Falcons in the 58th minute.
 
Messiah added some insurance in the 61st minute when Kristina Akselsen bent a beautiful ball inside the left post for a 3-0 Falcons' lead. Akselsen broke down her defender on the right side, creating some space at the corner of the box for a perfect shot to the left side. The Mustangs' keeper had no chance to save the high arching shot that found the left-side netting for the 3-0 lead.
 
The score was Akselsen's fourth goal of the season, all four goals have come in the last six games.
 
That was all the Falcons needed as the Mustangs kept Messiah off the board for the final 30 minutes. Messiah attempted a half dozen more shots with a handful of really quality chances, but earned the 3-0 victory to improve to 11-2-1 on the season.
 
What's Up Next
With the victory, Messiah clinches a spot in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament that will take place during the first week of November. The Falcons need just one more victory against Widener or Hood to claim the top seed in the Tournament.
 
Messiah remains perfect in the conference with a 6-0-0 mark. The Falcons have yet to concede a goal to a MAC Commonwealth foe, outscoring the conference 16-0 in six games. Messiah will be back in action on Saturday when they host the Widener Pride at 7:30 p.m. on Shoemaker Field.