YORK, Pa. – The No. 1 Messiah men's soccer team capped off the 2023 regular season with a 3-0 victory over the York Spartans on Saturday evening. The Falcons end the regular season with an overall record of 17-0-1 and a conference mark of 7-0-0 to clinch the top seed in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament next week.
 
Matt McDonald scored in his seventh-straight match to give Messiah a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute in what turned out to be the game-winning tally. Jarec Morlote tallied the first goal of his career in the 56th minute off an assist from Cole Cristian and Stefan Leitzel capped off the scoring in the 75th minute.
 
The Falcons will turn their attention to the MAC Commonwealth Tournament next week, beginning with the semifinal on Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. against fourth-seeded Stevenson on Shoemaker Field.
 
McDonald Scores in Seventh Straight
The Falcons pushed the issue early, attempting five shots on goal in the first 26 minutes. While all five shots were saved, Matt McDonald broke through in the 29th minute off a feed from Sam Phillips. After taking possession to the endline on the left side, Phillips sent a ball back into the box for McDonald, a one-touch finish on the near post gave Messiah the 1-0 lead. It was the seventh-straight match that McDonald has found the back of the net, setting a new career-high and moving into a tie for the fourth-longest goal-scoring streak.
 
McDonald's tally was the lone Messiah score in the opening half as the Falcons took a 1-0 lead into the second period.
 
Second-Half Insurance
Messiah netted a pair of second-half insurance goals to earn the 3-0 victory. Highlighting the second half effort was Jarec Morlote scoring the first goal of his career. In the 56th minute, the Falcons built out of the back with Cole Cristian holding possession in the midfield and chipping a ball forward to Morlote making a run out of the middle. Morlote ran onto the feed just above the penalty spot and hit a right-footed strike into the back of the net for a 2-0 Messiah lead, setting off a celebration in the corner.
 
Stefan Leitzel finished the scoring in the 75th minute with a feed from Isaac Schmitke at the top of the box. Leitzel hit the feed with his left foot for the one-time finish as well as the Falcons claimed the 3-0 victory.
 
Drew Stief entered the match in the 77th minute and was called on to make a pair of saves in the 86th minute to preserve the shutout, a distinction that Stief and Adam Carter shared.
 
What's Up Next
The top-seeded Falcons will host the fourth-seeded Stevenson Mustangs on Wednesday night in the MAC Commonwealth Semifinal at 6:00 p.m. on Shoemaker Field. Messiah will be playing in their 31st conference tournament and are looking for their 21st Conference Championship.