GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah field hockey team used a flurry of goals to defeat the Ursinus College Bears 4-1, on Wednesday night. Lindsay McFeaters opened the scoring for the Falcons with a tip-in goal from Teagan Murrie in the 6th minute. After a Bears goal, Anna Koenig ripped a shot from Jenna Lutz to give the Falcons the lead. Aubrey Clark and Audrey Weger from Clark added the final goals in the second half to put the exclamation mark on the Falcons win. Catie Brubaker earned the win and tallied seven saves in net.
 
The Falcons finish their three game home stand against the thirteenth-ranked Lions of the College of New Jersey on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1:00 p.m.

First Half
Just six minutes into the game, the Falcons earned a great scoring opportunity after earning a penalty corner. Jenna Lutz sent the penalty corner into Nicole Shank at the top of the circle. Shank sent a pass over to the left side to Teagan Murrie and she ripped a shot towards the goal, but before it could reach the Ursinus goalkeeper, Lindsay McFeaters tipped the shot into the back of the goal for the opening tally. Just two minutes later the Bears got their first scoring chance. Mary Lauren Franz cut through two Falcons defenders and sent a shot towards the goal, but Catie Brubaker made a kick save to keep the Falcons lead.

Opening the second quarter, the Bears were searching for that tying goal. After a shot went off the post on the previous corner attempt, the Bears earned a second chance to score on a corner. Lauren Breisch sent the corner into play to Rachel Bueno. Bueno ripped a shot that was tipped by Gigi Testa in the back of the goal to tie the game at one.  In the 24th minute, the Falcons looked to take advantage of a penalty corner opportunity once again. Jenna Lutz sent the corner into Anna Koenig's stick. Koenig sent a blistering shot that deflected off a Bear's defender and into the top-left corner of the goal to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead. Just a minute later, the Bears looked to tie the game once again. After a ball was played into the circle, Ellie Bruggeman gathered the ball in front of the net with only Catie Brubaker to beat. Bruggeman sent a shot towards the net and Brubaker made an impressive pad save to preserve the Falcons lead headed into the half.
 
Second Half
The Bears earned a couple of great scoring opportunities to start the second half. Rachel Bueno and Gigi Testa both sent shots towards in the 36th and 38th minute, respectfully. Both shots were denied by Catie Brubaker, who continued to shut down the Bears' shot attempts. The Falcons quickly regrouped and went back on the attack. Madi Johnson sent a pass from outside the circle into the middle of the circle to Aubrey Clark. Clark gathered the pass and showed some fancy stickwork to get an angle for a shot. She sent the shot into the back of the net and extended the Falcons lead to 3-1. The Falcons looked to add another goal to extend their lead in the 42nd minute. The Falcons earned a penalty corner and Jenna Lutz sent the pass into play, where the ball found Kelsey Heltzel's stick near the goal. Heltzel sent a shot that the Bears' goalkeeper made a nice save, but Heltzel got a second chance on the rebound, but the shot attempt was again saved to keep the Falcons lead to two at the end of the third.

In the 48th minute, the Bears had a great chance to cut the deficit to one with a penalty shot attempt. Lauren Breisch took the shot attempt and sent the shot just wide right of the goal. In the 54th the Falcons looked to add another goal to put the stamp on the win. After a Bears' turnover, Hailey Womer weaved through two defenders and had a one-on-one opportunity with the Bears' goalkeeper. Womer sent the shot past the goalkeeper, but Kirsten Johnson made an impressive defensive play keeping the Falcons off the board. The Falcons offense though was not finished. Just a minute later, Jenna Lutz sent a ball into the circle to Aubrey Clark. Clark then deflected the pass right in front of the left side of the net to Audrey Weger. Weger poked the ball into the back of the net for her first career goal to push the Falcons lead up to three. In the final seconds of the game, the Bears had one final scoring opportunity. Ellie Bruggeman sent a shot towards net, but once again Catie Brubaker was a brick wall and made her seventh save of the game.
 
Stats
Lindsay McFeaters, Anna Koenig, Aubrey Clark, and Audrey Weger scored the goals for the Falcons. Clark's goal was the fourth of the season and she has totaled a goal in all four games this year. Weger's goal was the first goal of her career. The Falcons outshot the Bears 15 to 14 and had 10 shots on goal to the Bears eight. Messiah earned eight penalty corners and Ursinus earned seven. Catie Brubaker earned the win and made seven saves to improve her record to 3-0 in goal.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons finish their three-game home stand against the thirteenth-ranked Lions of the College of New Jersey on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1:00 p.m.