GRANTHAM, Pa. – The No. 5 Messiah women's soccer team claimed a 5-1 victory over the Westfield State Owls on Saturday afternoon in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Falcons outshot the Owls 25-4 in the match with
Brittany Laird leading the offense with a pair of tallies.
Julia Martin,
Ella Arace, and
Lydia Ring all found the back of the net as well as Messiah moves into the Second Round of the Tournament for the 23rd-straight season.
The Falcons will take on the winner of Williams and Endicott on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. on Shoemaker Field with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.
Two First-Half Goals
The Falcons were first on the board, scoring in the 17th minute off a corner kick.
Julia Martin headed home a corner kick from
Kristina Akselsen to give Messiah a 1-0 lead. The Falcons had pressured throughout the start of the match, attempting five shots in the first 16 minutes of play.
Despite heavy Messiah pressure, the lead remained 1-0 for nearly 30 minutes. The Falcons released some pressure with a goal from
Ella Arace in the 44th minute. After a pass down the left side from
Molly Adams found
Kierstyn Fogle, a slipped pass into the box broke
Ella Arace in on goal. Arace deftly slotted a shot past the keeper, doubling the Messiah lead to 2-0 just before the half.
Fast Start to the Second Half
Messiah wasted little time finding the back of the net in the second half. Off the opening touch, Messiah quickly pushed forward with
Kaitlyn Laird touching a pass to
Hannah Adair outside the box. A perfectly weighted through ball found
Brittany Laird just before the oncoming keeper could get to it.
Brittany Laird's one-touch shot found the back of the net for a 3-0 lead.
Brittany Laird would add her second goal in the 62nd minute off a corner kick. A delivery to the near post from
Olivia Shuck was volleyed by Laird past the keeper for a 4-0 advantage.
Lydia Ring cleaned up a failed clearance from the Owls in the 68th minute for the final Messiah goal on the afternoon. Ring picked up possession at the top of the box and after a touch, ripped a shot that found the twine for a 5-0 lead.
Owls Take Advantage of Chance
The Owls fought off a shutout with a goal in the 84th minute off the foot of Delaney Parker. A long though ball got to Parker down the left side. Parker ran past the Falcons defense and slotted a shot into the right-side of the goal mouth for an Owls' goal.
What's Up Next
With the 5-1 victory on Saturday, Messiah advances to Sunday's Second Round at 3:00 p.m. on Shoemaker Field. On Sunday afternoon, the Falcons will face the winner of the Williams and Endicott First Round game with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
