GRANTHAM, Pa. – The No. 5 Messiah field hockey team used a four-goal first half to defeat the thirteenth-ranked Lions of TNCJ, 5-0 on Saturday. The Falcons opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a Lindsay McFeaters goal from Aubrey Clark. Mallory Kline added another Falcons goal in the 14th minute from Hailey Womer. The barrage of first half goals continued, Ellie Lefever added a goal from Womer and Hailey Womer scored a goal herself to the Falcons a 4-0 lead. Kline added her second goal of the day from Nicole Shank, in the second half, to give the Falcons a 5-0 lead. Catie Brubaker and Eva Hancock combined for the shutout, with both goalkeepers making one save.
 
The Falcons travel to No. 2 Johns Hopkins on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 4:00 p.m.

First Half
After some back-and-forth play the Falcons looked to get on the board first in the seventh minute of the opening quarter.  Aubrey Clark carried the ball into the circle and sent a shot towards the net. As the ball was going towards the net, Lindsay McFeaters got her stick on it and tipped it past the Lions' goalkeeper to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead. In the 12th minute, the Lions looked to tie the game with a penalty corner opportunity. After a few passes, Bella DiNardo ended up with the ball on her stick. She sent a shot towards the net, but Allie Mast crouched down and made an impressive defensive save to keep the Lions off the board. With the first quarter winding down, the Falcons went for one final offensive push. Hailey Womer dribbled the ball into the right side of the circle and sent a pass into the middle. There waiting for the ball was Mallory Kline and she ripped a shot into the back of the goal and beat the buzzer to extend the Falcons lead to 2-0 at the end of the first quarter.
 
Second Quarter
Even with the momentum on the Falcons side, the Lions started the second quarter strong. After earning a penalty corner, Carly Cole sent the ball to the top of the circle. Rayhanah Ahmed ripped a shot from the edge of the circle, but Catie Brubaker made an impressive pad save to preserve the two-goal lead. After the Lions chance on offense, it was the Falcons turn to get back on the attack. In the 17th minute, the Falcons pushed the ball up field and Hailey Womer sent a pass over to Ellie Lefever. Lefever sent a blistering shot, through traffic and into the back of the goal to push the Falcons lead up to three. The Falcons though were not finished on offense as they were hungry for another goal. Just two minutes later, the Lions turned the ball over. Leah Bryner sent a pass into play to Ellie Lefever and Lefever tipped the ball over to Hailey Womer. Womer did the rest, and she wove through multiple defenders, carrying the ball into the circle. Once she got an open look, Womer sent a shot into the back of the goal to increase the Falcons lead to four. Even with a four-goal lead the Falcons wanted to continue to add on. In the 24th minute, the Falcons pushed for a couple of great scoring chances. Mallory Kline forced a turnover and looked like the Falcons had an advantage. After the Lions goalkeeper came of the net to play the ball, Kline sent a pass over to Madi Johnson. Johnson ripped a shot, but a defensive save from a Lions defender saved another goal. After the ball bounced out of the circle, Carrie Bair ripped a longshot, but the Lions goalkeeper made a pad save to keep the score at 4-0 at the half.
 
Third Quarter
Just three minutes into the second half the Falcons looked to keep pouring it on. After earning a penalty corner opportunity, Jenna Lutz sent the ball into play. Nicole Shank gathered the ball and after a back-and-forth between her and Madi Johnson, Shank ripped a shot towards the net, but the shot was blocked. After the blocked shot, Ellie Lefever gathered the free ball and sent a shot towards the net, but the Lions goalkeeper stood tall and made the save. In the 38th minute the Falcons looked to continue to add to their already big lead with another penalty corner opportunity. Leah Bryner sent the corner into the top of the circle to Nicole Shank. Shank then passed the ball over to Mallory Kline and she ripped a shot into the back of the goal for her second goal of the day. The Falcons offense continued to give the Lions defense headaches with another penalty corner opportunity in the 40th minute. Leah Bryner again sent the ball into play to Nicole Shank. Shank sent a pass over to Teagan Murrie on the edge of the circle and Murrie ripped a shot, but it was blocked. After the ball bounced towards the front of the net, Megan North gathered the ball and sent a shot towards the goal, but the Lions goalkeeper made a sliding save to prevent another Falcons goal.
 
Fourth Quarter
After some good defensive plays from both sides, the Falcons offense looked to get another opportunity to score in the 60th minute. Leah Bryner sent the corner into play to Jenna Lutz. Lutz tapped the ball over to Nicole Shank. Looking to a tip-in Shank ripped the ball towards the net from just outside the circle. The ball bounced its way back to Lutz, who tapped the ball towards the net, but the Lions goalkeeper was there to make the save. Off the rebounded, Ellie Lefever got a shot off, but again the Lions goalkeeper made another save. After another rebound, Megan North sent a shot towards the right corner of the net, but Emma Jordan made an impressive defensive save to keep the Falcons off the board. The Falcons would have one final offensive push in the 58th minute. Looking for the hat-trick Mallory Kline dribbled the ball into the circle and sent a rocket of a shot that kicked up off the turf and went off the Lions goalkeeper to keep the final score at 5-0.
 
Stats
Hailey Womer led the Falcons offense with four points on a goal and two assists. Mallory Kline also added four points with two goals. Ellie Lefever and Lindsay McFeaters each added a goal for the Falcons. Lefever's goal was the first goal of her career. The Falcons outshot the Lions 27 to four. Messiah had 18 shots on goal to TCNJ's three. The Falcons earned eight penalty corners and the Lions had three. Catie Brubaker earned the win in net with one save. Eva Hancock played the second half in goal and made one save. Allie Mast accounted for the other Falcons' save with a defensive save.
 
Next
The Falcons travel to No. 2 Johns Hopkins on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 4:00 p.m.