GRANTHAM, Pa. – The No. 2 Messiah men's soccer team topped visiting No. 17 Christopher Newport University at On Saturday evening at Shoemaker Field. The Falcons scored a pair of goals in each half from four different goal scorers (Cole Cristian, Ben Lefever, Matt McDonald, Jake Lent-Koop).
 
The victory improves Messiah's overall record to 9-0-1 ahead of MAC Commonwealth play.
 
Messiah was denied an early lead after a key penalty save from Christopher Newport's Ethan Larson. Jake Lent-Koop stepped up to the spot after McDonald was fouled by Larson. Lent-Koop's effort to the bottom right of the frame was saved, preserving the scoreless contest.
 
The Captains used the momentum from the penalty save to capture an early lead as Elton Quintanilla's right-footed shot found the back of the net following a heavy deflection.
 
The Falcons answered quickly, scoring consecutive tallies to overcome their early deficit. Cole Cristian and Ben Lefever each converted right-footed shots from just outside the 18-yard box to give Messiah a 2-1 edge. The two goals occurred just 3:18 apart.
 
The remainder of the first half proved to be scoreless as the Falcons held on to their one-goal (2-1) heading into halftime. Messiah outshot Christopher Newport in the half, 12-5.
 
The Falcons tacked on their third tally early in the second half behind McDonald's 11th goal of the campaign. Messiah capitalized on a Christopher Newport defensive miscue, giving the ball away in its own defensive third of the field to ultimately increase its deficit to two goals. Messiah continued to knock on the door in the minutes to follow but were denied by multiple saves from Larson.
 
Messiah's persistency payed off with just over 35 minutes to play when Jake Lent-Koop added his name to the scoresheet. The defender connected on a header from a corner kick to increase the Falcons' lead to a comfortable three-goal lead, his second goal of the season.
 
The Falcons remained in control for the final 30 minutes of action. Jared Pavlovich made a stellar save with just 12 minutes remaining, preserving the shutout with a diving save to his right side. Messiah totaled 14 shots in the second half, ending the game with a total of 26.
 
What's Next
The Falcons host Stevenson University this Wednesday, Oct. 5, at Shoemaker Field at 7:00 p.m.