FREDERICK, Md. - The No. 15 Messiah women's lacrosse team bested Hood College, 15-5, on the road on Wednesday afternoon. Five Falcons recorded multi-goal games as Rachel Delate tallied a game-high four goals to lead the way. Grace Gormley (3 goals), Ehryn Groothoff (2 goals), Makenzie Schnur (2 goals), and Abigail Evans (2 goals) all made notable offensive contributions as Mackenzie O'Haver and Heather Burnham combined for four saves in the cage.
 
The victory improves Messiah's overall record to 12-4 overall and 6-1 in the MAC Commonwealth on the season.
 
The Falcons had a dominant first quarter of play, jumping out to a 4-0 lead at the end of the opening period of play. Delate tallied two goals in the quarter as Schnur and Emma Lytle each recorded a tally. Messiah continued its offensive momentum in the second half, extending its lead at halftime to 8-2. The Falcons outscored the Blazers in the second half, 7-3, behind a hat trick from Gormley.
 
Messiah will be back in action this Saturday, Apr. 30, hosting Eastern University at 2:00 p.m. at the Lacrosse Turf.
 
How It Happened
The Falcons raced out to a 7-0 lead midway through the second period, thanks to three goals from Rachel Delate, a pair from Makenzie Schnur, and tallies from Ehryn Groothoff and Amanda Wadsworth. Despite the Falcons' early lead, Hood got on the board, scoring two of the final three goals of the half.
 
Abigail Evans connected on Messiah's final goal of the half as the Falcons led 8-2 after 30 minutes of play.
 
Messiah got the clock running with four-straight tallies to begin the third period. Grace Gormley scored a pair in the first two minutes before Abigail Evans scored her second of the day and Jessie Wynne connected on her first to make it a 12-2 game.
 
The Falcons and Blazers played a relatively level final 20 minutes with each team connecting for three goals. Grace Gormley, Ehryn Groothoff, and Rachel Delate all tallied for the Falcons down the stretch as Messiah earned a 15-5 victory.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons improve to 12-4 in the MAC Commonwealth and will be back in action on Saturday in their season finale at 2:00 p.m. against the Eastern Eagles on the Lacrosse Turf. The Falcons have locked up the second seed in the upcoming MAC Commonwealth Tournament and will host a semifinal match next Wednesday against the third seed at a time to be determined.