GRANTHAM, PA. – The No. 25 Messiah Women's Lacrosse team hosted the Dutchmen of Lebanon Valley College for a cross-conference match-up on Wednesday afternoon. Messiah jumped to a 7-0 lead at halftime and continued their offensive streak in the second half. The Falcons earned the 13-1 victory with Hannah Gawne leading the way with three goals. Grace Hejeebu made five saves in goal.

The Falcons return to action on the Lacrosse Turf at the Witmer Family Lacrosse Stadium on Saturday, March 22 when they host St. Mary's College of Maryland for a non-conference game at 2:00 p.m.

First Quarter
Messiah started action with Emma Hagg winning the opening draw control. Hayley Lettinga fired a shot that hit the post before Jordan Lewicki secured the ground ball. Katie Bukiewicz fired a free position shot on goal, but the Dutchmen goalie was able to make the save. After a Natalie Howell caused a Dutchmen turnover, Katie Bukiewicz found Hannah Gawne for the first goal of the game with 12:38 remaining in the first period. Bukiewicz earned the draw control, and it was again Lettinga with a shot, this one saved by the Dutchmen goalie. After a few minutes of trading possession, Lebanon Valley fired a shot on goal, but Grace Hejeebu was able to make the save. The Falcons and Dutchmen again traded possessions before Grace Pettitt looked to extend the Messiah lead. Her shot was saved by the Dutchmen goalie, but Messiah was awarded a free position attempt that resulted in a free position goal for Pettitt and a 2-0 Messiah lead with just over five minutes remaining in the quarter. Annalise Keitel fired a shot that was saved before Addyson Wagman caused a turnover that resulted in a goal for Keitel at 3:45. Each team fired one more shot on goal with Hejeebu and the Dutchmen goalie earning saves to end the quarter 3-0 in favor of Messiah.

Second Quarter
The Falcons offensive came alive in the second quarter, scoring five goals across the 15 minutes. Katie Bukiewicz and Hayley Lettinga each fired shots on frame early in the quarter that were saved by the Lebanon Valley goalie. Messiah's first goal of the quarter came with 10:52 remaining on the clock when Grace Pettitt found Jordan Lewicki for the Falcons' fourth goal of the game. Three minutes later, the Falcons earned a free position attempt that Dani Sauder converted for a free position goal to extend the lead to 5-0 with just under eight minutes to play in the first half. Bukiewicz and Alina Bernal-Clark both looked to score the Falcons' next goal but were unable to connect with the back of the net. Messiah recovered the ball after Bernal-Clark's missed shot and Hayley Lettinga found the back of the net for the 6-0 lead with 3:46 remaining. Possession traded back-and-forth for the remaining time with the Falcons firing two shots. The Falcons gained possession after the missed shot at 17 seconds and Katie Bukiewicz found the back of the net as time expired to give Messiah a 7-0 lead heading into halftime.

Third Quarter
Hannah Gawne earned the opening draw control for Messiah and quickly earned a free possession attempt. Gawne's shot was saved but the Falcons were able to regain possession, and Grace Pettitt found the back of the goal to give Messiah the 8-0 advantage early in the second half. Addyson Wagman recovered a ground ball for the Falcons and Hannah Gawne found the back of the net just over a minute after Pettitt. Over the next six minutes, Pettitt and Brynn Johnsen each fired a shot on goal that was saved before Messiah called a timeout with 6:46 on the clock. After the Falcons lost possession, Jordan Lewicki caused a turnover that shifted momentum back in the favor of Messiah as Pettitt connected with Annalise Keitel to bring the Messiah advantage to 10-0 with 4:24 on the clock. After Grace Hejeebu picked up a ground ball, the Falcons capitalized with a goal by Hannah Gawne to bring the score to 11-0 with one quarter left to play.

Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter was off to a quiet start, with the Dutchmen firing two shots on frame that were saved by Grace Hejeebu and two shots off the post. Addyson Wagman fired the Falcons lone shot, and it was saved by the Dutchmen goalie. With just under seven minutes on the clock, Leah Gaito found the back of the net, bringing the score to 12-0 in favor of Messiah. Jordan Lewicki added a goal for the Falcons with 4:18 remaining in the game. Abby Welchans fired a shot just wide before the Dutchmen also fired a shot wide. With less than a minute to play, the Dutchmen fired a shot wide but were able to regain possession and find the back of the net with 39 seconds remaining to avoid being blanked. The Falcons earned the 13-1 victory in the cross-conference contest.

Stats
Hannah Gawne led the Falcons with three goals and added two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Annalise Keitel, Grace Pettitt, and Jordan Lewicki each added a pair of goals. Addyson Wagman had five ground balls with two caused turnovers while Emma Hagg had four ground balls and three caused turnovers. Grace Hejeebu had five saves in goal.

Up Next
The Falcons return to action on the Lacrosse Turf at the Witmer Family Lacrosse Stadium on Saturday, March 22 when they host St. Mary's College of Maryland for a non-conference game at 2:00 p.m.