SCRANTON, PA. - After falling behind early, a strong fourth quarter gave the No. 16 Messiah women's lacrosse team a chance to win as the game headed to overtime tied at 10-10. One overtime period wasn't enough, as the teams needed two overtimes until Messiah won with a game-winning goal out of the stick of Hannah Gawne, her third of the game. Hayley Lettinga, Rachel Delate and Emma Lytle all added two goals on the day.

The Falcons had three different players score their first-career goals in the victory.

Messiah, who topped the Royals in the 2022 season-opener, began their 2023 campaign in similar fashion to improve to 1-0.

After conceding a goal in the second minute of the contest, Lettinga opened the Falcons' scoring efforts with the first goal of the season and the first goal of her career, an unassisted effort to level the play at 1-1 at the 11:58 mark. The following ten minutes of action proved to be scoreless before back-to-back Scranton tallies gave the Royals a two-goal edge (3-1) at the conclusion of the opening quarter. Each side had six turnovers in the first quarter as Scranton edged the Falcons in shots (5-4).
Lettinga added her second goal of the game at the 13:39 mark of the second quarter, cutting the Messiah deficit to just one goal. Later in the quarter, Annalise Keitel scored her first-career goal. Despite using the firepower of two Falcons making their collegiate debuts, Messiah entered halftime trailing Scranton, 6-3. Messiah goalkeeper Mackenzie O'Haver made three saves in the opening half.

The Messiah defense was stellar in the second half of action, allowing just seven total shots between the third and fourth quarters. Delate notched her first goal of the season just 53 seconds into the half, an unassisted goal, followed by a tally from Lytle at the 13:24 mark to trim the deficit to 6-5. The early third-quarter goals were not enough to draw even or take a lead, as Scranton scored four of the next five goals to enter the final quarter of play with a 9-6 advantage.

Scranton began the fourth quarter scoring promptly, finding the back of the net just nine seconds into the quarter. The Falcons faced a four-goal deficit, but clawed back, scoring four unanswered goals to force overtime. Lytle, Delate, and Hannah Gawne all contributed the fourth quarter goals. Gawne tallied the game-tying goal with just 2:20 remaining in regulation just after scoring her first-career goal at the 5:58 mark. The two sides ended regulation tied, 10-10, entering overtime for the 2023 season-opener. The Falcons outshot Scranton in regulation, 26-19.

Despite rattling off six shots, the Falcons were unable to find the game-clinching goal in the first overtime. The Messiah defense was strong, allowing just one shot. Gawne completed her hat trick in the second overtime, notching the game-winning tally at the 5:11 mark. The Falcons, facing a four-goal deficit early in the fourth quarter, completed the comeback thanks to six goals from first-year players making their collegiate debuts.

Grace Hejeebu made her collegiate debut in goal for the Falcons, playing the entire second half and overtime periods. Hejeebu made three saves.    

What's Next
The Falcons (1-0) will host the No. 5 Gettysburg Bullets (1-0) this Wednesday, February 22, at 4:00 PM at the Lacrosse Turf in Grantham, Pa.