LYNCHBURG, Va. - Saturday's non-conference battle between No. 5 Messiah men's soccer and the University of Lynchburg ended in a 2-2 draw, but it was not drama. The two teams traded tallies in the opening minutes before settling into a territory battle for the next 70-plus minutes. Messiah looked to have scored the game-winner in the 88th minute when Matt McDonald flicked in a finish during a one-on-one opportunity with the keeper, but Lynchburg scored in the 90th minute to level the score once again. Due to an NCAA rules change, no overtime will be played during regular season contests and the match finished in a draw.
 
Messiah will head home after a successful season opening trip with a 1-0-1 record after defeating No. 3 Washington and Lee on Thursday night.
 
Cole Cristian connected in the eighth minute off a cross from Ben Lefever to level the match at 1-1 early. As mentioned, Matt McDonald pushed through a beautiful goal in the 88th minute and nearly added a second just moments later, but his attempt at an insurace goal hit the outside of the post.
 
The Falcons will be back in action on Friday night when they host Carthage College at 7:00 p.m. on Shoemaker Field.
 
Quick Start
In the third minute, Lynchburg got the first quality opportunity of the match earning a corner kick. The Hornets' Kenny Robles took the corner and found the head of Zach Whelan for the first score of the contest. Messiah wasted little time finding their equalizer, needing just six minutes to level the match at 1-1.
 
In the eighth minute, Matt McDonald earned a turnover deep in the Lynchburg zone with a hustle play. A quick pass to Ben Lefever started a little give and go that sprung Lefever into the right corner. Leferver carried into the box on the end line and send a feed across the goal mouth for Cole Cristian. With a defender draped on his back, Cristian ran onto the feed and hammered it into an open net. The tally leveled the match at 1-1.
 
The Falcons looked to have netted the go-ahead goal in the 31st minute when Stephan Leitzel found the back of the net with a header, but he was called offsides just before the celebration could get underway.
 
Despite chances from both sides late in the first half, the score remained level heading into the second half.
 
Wild Finish
Messiah controlled the majority of possession throughout the second half, attempting 12 shots against just five from the Hornets. Like the majority of the first half, Messiah was unable to break through until the 88th minute. With the ball loose in the midfield, Jake Lent-Koop crushed a big ball forward where Matt McDonald controlled possession on the left side of the box. McDonald beat his defender and set up a one-on-one opportunity with the keeper. A cheeky touch with the outside of his right foot snuck past a stunned keeper and inside the right post for a 2-1 lead with just over two minutes to play.
 
McDonald nearly made it a 3-1 lead just a minute later. From a similar spot on the field with the keeper hustling toward him, McDonald poked a shot toward the goal. His shot nicked the near post and tricked out for a goal kick.
 
The Falcons could have used the insurance as Lynchburg earned a free kick from the midfield stripe in the 90th minute. A ball was sent into the box where Messiah attempted to clear, but Lynchburg was able to keep it in the box. Enrique Morales slipped a pass to Kenny Robles on the left post and his shot found the back of the net for the equalizer.
 
With under a minute to go, neither team was able to put together a quality chance and the match ended in a 2-2 draw.
 
What's Up Next
Messiah will return home to central Pennsylvania to play back-to-back days against Carthage College on Friday and Moravian College on Saturday night. Messiah and Carthage will play at 7:00 p.m. on Friday night on Shoemaker Field.